The Hogwarts Blog II
by TwiLyght Sans Sparkles
Summary: The Second War is over, Voldemort aka Phil is dead, and the wizarding world is in shambles. What are Harry and his friends to do? Blog about it, of course! Sequel to The Hogwarts Blog. Again, moderately AU.
1. Chapter 1

_A few of you have asked if this will be about the next generation. I'll write one like that eventually, but right now I feel obliged to focus on the current characters. Their stories aren't over yet. _

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**Real Men Wear Kilts **

**_Kilted Stranger _**

By the time the celebrations ended--which wasn't until after dinner--everyone was even more tired than they had been before all the partying. Even Draco--who is known in Slytherin as the King of All-Nighters--leaned against a wall for a minute and fell asleep. People from all four Houses noticed this halfway through dinner.

"Poor guy," Luna said.

"Yeah," Ginny agreed.

"Guess surviving an AK takes a lot out of you."

"How'd he do that, anyway?"

I shrugged. "Think I should wake him up?"

"Well, if you do, tell him we've got room in Ravenclaw." (I had mentioned, off-handedly, that even though most of my House had joined the fight against Phil, I was dreading returning to Slytherin.)

"Gryffindor's open, too, if he'd rather stay there."

"Same with Hufflepuff. 'Course, if he'd rather head back to Slytherin, that's fine too."

I grinned, went over to him, and shook his shoulder. "Huh?"

"You fell asleep."

"Yeah...guess I did."

I smiled as I told him the news. "Seems you're pretty popular. Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Gryffindor all invited you to stay there for the night."

"Really?"

"Yeah. So...where do you want to stay?"

He sighed. "I don't know...I'm too tired to pick one. You pick one."

"Why me?"

"'Cause you're still concious."

"Fine. How...about...Gryffindor?" I didn't pick it at random. I picked the House that I thought would break the most school records if a Slytherin stayed there, and Gryffindor won by a landslide.

"All right. Gryffindor, then."

When I told them, all the Gryffindors looked smug while the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs looked disappointed.

"You can stay in Gryffindor too, if you want."

"All right. Thanks." 'Thanks' didn't seem strong enough to cover it, but I guess it was the best I could do. After all, what do you say when the House that, for the past eleven centuries, has made a point to show how much it hates your House, invites you to stay there for the night?

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**The Greatest Blog in the History of the Universe! **

**The Invisible Man **

**_Falcon _**

Gryffindor's common room is REALLY nice.

Not to say the other three Houses' common rooms aren't, but when I first got to Gryffindor Tower, I couldn't help being impressed. The walls are covered in tapestries, soft rugs are on the floor, and by the fireplace there are dozens of squashy armchairs. The beds were nice, too--like the ones in Slytherin, only red.

Needless to say, I liked it.

Surprisingly, I slept without any nightmares. I guess I was too tired to dream. The real nightmare began when we all woke up and Theo and I went down to the hospital wing to check on Millicent.

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	2. Chapter 2

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**Journal of a Hogwarts Kid **

**_Pressing On _**

Waking up the morning after a battle is like waking up to find that the nightmare was real.

The entire castle was torn to shreds. Several walls had gaping holes, gargoyles everywhere were broken, and--worst of all--there were still bloodstains on several walls.

I decided to head to Gryffindor. Draco and Theo were there, and so were all the Weasleys, so it seemed like a good place. But when I got there, I discovered that Draco and Theo had gone down to the hospital wing to check on Millicent.

So that's where I went.

When I got there, it was like someone had taken all the destruction in the entire castle and scaled it down to fit in one room. Matresses were torn, beds turned over, pillows leaked feathers, and blankets were strewn about or torn to ribbons. Gaping, I looked at Draco and asked the obligatory question:

"What happened?"

"Um, Millie got bit by Greyback yesterday," he said quietly, "so I guess Millie is what happened."

"Oh," was all I could say. "Where is she?"

"Theo's looking--" he began, but just then we heard someone scream "DON'T TOUCH ME! DON'T GET CLOSE TO ME!"

Draco grimaced. "Looks like he found her."

When we got there, Millicent was curled up in a corner, sobbing. Theo knelt over her, stroking her tangled hair, whispering "Shh...shh...it'll be okay..."

I looked at Draco, but he was staring sadly at Theo and Millicent. "C'mon," he said to me after a minute. "We should go."

* * *

**Real Men Wear Kilts **

**_Kilted Stranger _**

The moment I saw the hospital wing, I knew what had happened. Millicent had transformed in the middle of the night and torn it apart trying to get out. Madame Pomfrey told me later she put up several protective enchantments around the hospital wing, then hid in her office.

When I found Millicent, she was curled up in a corner facing the wall, sobbing. I knelt down next to her and tried to touch her shoulder, but she screamed.

"DON'T TOUCH ME! DON'T GET CLOSE TO ME!"

I paused for only a second before trying again. I reached out, ran my fingers through her tangled black hair, trying to soothe her. "Shh...shh...Millie, it's okay..."

It wasn't okay. And from Millicent's perspective, I knew it would never be okay. She was a werewolf, and would be stuck that way until she died. But I had to let her know I didn't care.

"It's okay, Millie. I'm okay."

* * *

_Before you jump the gun and send me a ton of reviews saying "Well, she wasn't bit ON the full moon, so she wouldn't be a werewolf, she'd just be a wereretriever or a werepoodle or a wereChihuahua," keep in mind that it was the day before the full moon and Fenrir Greyback who bit her. So the consequences would probably be pretty severe. _


	3. Chapter 3

**The Greatest Blog in the History of the Universe! **

**Me Against the World **

**_Stag _**

After I fixed my wand, I went straight to Gryffindor and fell asleep. I didn't wake up until the next morning.

When I did, it took a minute for me to remember 1) where I was and 2) how I got there. It was weird knowing Phil was dead. For the past year, I'd been constantly afraid that I'd wake up, scar burning more than usual, and find Phil standing just outside our tent. To have that fear suddenly be gone, it was like...like waking up, thinking I was at the Dursley's, only to find I was really at the Weasley's.

I didn't get out of bed until Ron was ready, and when we got to the bottom of the stairs, Ginny was waiting.

"Hi, Harry." She kissed me.

"Hi, Ginny," I said when we came up for air.

"I'm glad you're okay."

"I'm glad you're okay, too." Neither of us said anything for a long moment; we just stared at each other. I wanted to say something--knew I_ should _say something--but had no idea what that something was.

"Want to go get breakfast?"

"Sure."

We held hands as we walked down to the Great Hall. It wasn't until we were past the Fat Lady that Ginny asked the question.

"So...what exactly happened yesterday? With Phil, I mean? He didn't kill you, did he?"

"I'm still not sure about that. I mean, he shot the curse and everything, but I'm still not sure I really died."

"What do you mean? I mean, that seems like something you'd _know._"

I told her about waking up at the train station and what Dumbledore said. "So...I guess he _killed _me, but I didn't really _die, _you know?"

She nodded. "I'm glad you didn't," she said softly.

"Me too."

When we got to the Hall, it was hard to tell whose table was whose because nobody sat according to House. Ginny and I headed to the Gryffindor table because that's where her family was, and I can't tell you how weird it was to see five or six Slytherins sitting there, chatting with everyone else as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

"Hey, it's Harry!" one of the Slytherins (I later learned his name was Troy) said, and the others at the table started applauding.

Sitting down, I laughed. "I didn't know I was so loved."

"Oh, come on. You gave yourself up, came back, and as if that wasn't enough, you killed Phil with his own curse. That, my friend, takes SKILLS."

"Yeah, skills that kills!" another Slytherin added. Everyone laughed, and I think it was right about then that I decided I liked Slytherins. Most of them, anyway.

"Hey, anyone seen Draco?"

"No, I--oh! There he is!" He and Teri had just walked into the Hall. We all waved them over. Half a dozen people asked him what was wrong.

"Millie's a werewolf," he said quietly.

"How?"

"When?"

"Um, I guess Greyback bit her night before last, and since it was the night before the full moon..."

"Well, is she okay?" a Slytherin girl named Olivia asked.

"She's really upset about it."

Everyone was quiet for a minute. Suddenly, I remembered Draco's wand. I took it out and handed it to him. "Here. Sorry I took it."

He accepted the wand, but gave me a weird look. "I thought yours was broken and you had Phil's wand?"

"It was. But see, Phil stole the Elder Wand, so that's the wand I caught when I disarmed him last night, and since it's really powerful, I used it to fix my old wand." I held it up.

"Why didn't you keep the Elder Wand?" Olivia asked.

"It was too powerful."

Silence. Then, "Gryffindors are weird."

"So are Slytherins."

"Touche." We shared a smile, and I knew there was no harm done.

* * *

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**_Horse Luver 14 _**

I don't think there are enough words to describe how happy I was that Harry was alive. I didn't want to let him out of my sight for a single minute, so I stuck with him as we went into the Great Hall for breakfast, sat next to him, and generally stayed close to him all day.

Several Slytherins were sitting at the Gryffindor table, which would have been the weirdest thing I'd ever seen except for the fact that I'd seen weirder things during the battle. Still, it was strange. But not as strange as what happened later.

We were just finishing up breakfast when who should come storming through the doors but Pansy Parkinson. Now, that girl is NOT attractive. But she looks even uglier when she's angry, and right then, she was MAD. Everyone watched her as she stormed up to the Gryffindor table and smacked Draco upside the head.

"Ow! What the--" He turned and saw Pansy. "Pansy? What the hell--"

"What were you _thinking_?"

"What do you--"

"You know what I mean! You almost got us killed!

From there, it devolved into Pansy screaming insults and accusations and Draco trying to get her to shut up. Fortunately, it wasn't long before Kingsley Shacklebolt--the new Minister of Magic--noticed her, nodded to several Aurors, and they all closed in.

"Pansy Parkinson, you're under arrest."

THAT shut her up. "Wha...why? What did I do?"

"Mostly, you sided with You-Know-Who. But if several reliable sources are to be believed, you did much more than that." He nodded, and everyone watched, wide-eyed, as they led her out of the Hall. Protesting all the way.

Our table was silent for a long moment. Finally, Troy (one of the Slytherins) said "Guess it's a good thing we listened to you, Drake."

Everyone agreed.

* * *

_Rowling didn't say what happened to Pansy, but based on the fact that she went to join YKW before the final battle (even though most of the Slytherins didn't), it seems logical that she'd do much worse than that DURING the battle. (And, given YKW's relentless love for practicality, he'd have the Slytherins who joined him actually DO something--something other than just being his cheerleaders.)_

_Oh, and she didn't know she was going to be arrested. She didn't know anyone WANTED to arrest her because she's arrogant and clueless. So she was hiding out in the castle. _


	4. Chapter 4

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**_Misery Business _**

I've decided that being a werewolf sucks.

Transforming hurts. The only thing that distracts you from the initial pain of transformation is the whole insatiable-hunger-for-human-flesh thing.

When morning comes, you ache all over and you just feel drained. Not only that, but you see what you did during the night. And you feel like crap.

When I first found out, Theo was really sweet about it. I could tell he didn't care I was a werewolf, and neither did Matt. (Matt came in later when he heard what had happened.)

"Is there anything I can get you?" Theo asked. I shrugged, and Matt whispered something in his ear. He left for the kitchen, but Matt stayed with me.

"You okay, Millie?"

"Everything hurts and I feel like crap. What do _you_ think?"

He sighed. "Sorry. Just wondering."

We were quiet for a minute. Then I remembered something that made it all worse. "Mum and Dad are going to kill me when they find out."

"They'll understand about Phil."

"No, I meant about...this. About me." I felt like crying again. "You heard what they said when they found out about Professor Lupin."

"We won't tell 'em, then."

"They'll find out eventually."

"Not if you stay the night at a friend's house every full moon."

"Their parents'll tell our parents."

"Not if you...I dunno...hide in a closet or something. Or go outside."

"They'll still find out."

"Damn, Millie, you're just determined to be miserable, aren't you?" I looked at him and saw he was smiling slightly. "Seriously! It won't be that bad."

I was about to argue when Theo came back, carrying a tray piled with what looked like all the chocolate in the kitchen--eclairs, cookies, chocolate cake, truffles--and a mug of hot cocoa.

"When the house-elves heard, they knew what to do," he said, setting the tray on the floor.

I couldn't help crying a little as I hugged him.

* * *

**When Faith and Fear Collide **

**_Faith and Fear _**

Although most of the students stayed at Hogwarts for a few days to help clean up and rebuild, I knew they had to go home before too long. This, of course, meant that the school year would end early. Which, of course, meant that I'd have to send letters to all the parents who weren't present during the battle, telling them what had happened.

I had a devil of a time writing those notes. After all, "Hello. Voldemort has been defeated, so your child will be coming home early. Please be waiting for him/her on Platform 9 3/4" sounds so aloof. Ironically, that's exactly what I said.

But those notes were nothing compared to the notes sent to the parents whose children had died.

I took more time with those notes, made them more personal, talked about everything those students had done and what they'd be remembered for. Even with that, I still got several Howlers from grieving parents--mostly Slytherin parents because since no Slytherin parents came to the battle, none of them knew what had happened.

I wish I could go back in time and protect every one of those students. I wish I could do that for everyone who lost their lives in the battle. But since that's impossible, I'll just have to go on greiving for them.

* * *

_Because several of you have asked, here's a guide to the usernames on the blogs: _

_FaithAndFear: Minerva McGonagall  
PressingOn: Asteria "Teri" Greengrass  
MiseryBusiness: Millicent Bullstrode  
KiltedStranger: Theodore Nott  
_


	5. Chapter 5

**The Greatest Blog in the History of the Universe! **

**Let Love In **

**_Otter _**

I wish I didn't use a day planner.

Yes, day planners are very helpful when it comes to organizing your life. Yes, they keep you from forgetting important events, or from showing up at the wrong time. But now that the battle is over, my day planner is just depressing.

Thursday, 3:00--Percy's funeral  
Friday, 2:00--Lupin's and Tonks' funeral  
Saturday, 2:00--Colin's funeral  
Saturday, 6:00--Dinner w/friends after Drake's mum's funeral

The only good thing about that schedule is that Ron's funeral is nowhere to be found.

* * *

**The Invisible Man **

**_Falcon _**

Dad's been arrested.

I guess he ran away shortly after the battle, then they found him at home the next day. They're letting him out for Mum's funeral, though.

I asked if I'd have to testify against him. Shacklebolt said no, not if you don't want to, and I guess he said the same thing to Theo. But the trials won't be for a while, so we've got a few weeks to come up with what we'll say.

Dad already hates me because of Mum. I don't think he'd ever forgive me if I sent him to Azkaban.

* * *

**Pulling Pranks is What I Like to Do **

**_Monkey _**

We've decided Draco will stay with us, at least for a while.

He said he's not sure if he'll be able to get back into his house or not, because his dad might've set up new enchantments to keep him out, and even if not, who'd want to live in a big, empty house all alone?

* * *

**YouCanCallMeE: **Your dad kicked you out?

**KiltedStranger: **Yeah...just before he got arrested.

**YouCanCallMeE: **How'd THAT work out?

**KiltedStranger: **Well, apparently, he'd been on the run for a few days and given the Aurors a bunch of false leads. So when I went back to the house, we got in a fight, he dumped half my stuff out the window...and then the Aurors who were waiting outside heard the noise and intervened.

**YouCanCallMeE: **Shacklebolt has them tailing you, too?

**KiltedStranger: **Yeah. He said it's better to err on the side of caution.

**YouCanCallMeE: **Yeah...man, I'm sorry! That really sucks.

**KiltedStranger: **Yeah. How about you? I mean, I heard about your dad, but were you able to get back in your house?

**YouCanCallMeE: **Haven't tried yet.

**KiltedStranger: **Why not? Don't you need your stuff?

**YouCanCallMeE: **I do. It's just...I don't want to go back there yet.

**KiltedStranger: **Ah.

**YouCanCallMeE: **So where are you staying?

**KiltedStranger: **Millie's parents said I could stay with them until I find somewhere more permanent. You?

**YouCanCallMeE: **Fred and George's apartment. I could talk to them if you wanted--see if they'd let you stay here, too.

**KiltedStranger: **That'd be great. Tell them no pressure, though.

* * *

_Comic relief will come later. It's really, REALLY hard to put in a little humor when none of the characters feel like laughing. _


	6. Chapter 6

**The Greatest Blog in the History of the Universe! **

**Prankster for Life **

**_Chimpanzee _**

With so many funerals coming up, Fred and I have decided to send everyone off with a bang. (Dad told us when we were kids that that's what funerals are--one last sendoff before finishing your goodbyes.)

Mum doesn't know about our plans, unless a certain someone with blonde hair and grey eyes who happens to be staying in our apartment told her. And that certain someone said that all of these people deserve to go out with a bang, so I highly doubt he'd let Mum squash those plans.

Percy, you're first. We love you, bro. Always will. This is just our last way of showing you that love--that special love only a brother could love.

* * *

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**_Horse Luver 14 _**

Percy's funeral was today.

I feel sort of guilty saying this, but I didn't want to go. Yes, he was my brother and yes, I do miss him, but the idea of dressing all in black to sit in a room surrounded by people who, for the most part, were only pretending to have known Percy made me sick.

But because it was Percy, I went.

Dad had made sure everything was nice, tasteful, and respectful. There were flowers, pictures of Percy, and little things that reminded everyone of him--his wand, a few favorite books, stuff like that. Nice as it was, I hated it. As I sat there between Ron and Fred, I couldn't shake this feeling of guilt because I knew that if it wasn't for me, he would still be alive. If he hadn't stepped in and saved me, he could have gone on and made up with Dad and apologized to Mum and reconnected with Ron and Fred and George and he and I could have hung out like we used to before he left. But now, because of me, none of that was possible.

Halfway through the ceremony, I looked over at Ron and saw he was trying hard not to laugh. I got mad, so I leaned over and whispered "What's so funny?"

Still snickering under his breath, Ron pointed to the wizard leading the ceremony. I gaped for a second, then had to cover my mouth to hold back a giggle.

The wizard looked like Percy. Older, of course, but the red hair and glasses were the same. Percy was conducting his own funeral!

I looked around to see if anyone else noticed, and almost laughed out loud_. Everyone_ looked like Percy! Some were taller, some were shorter, a few were fatter, none were skinnier, and half were female, but the entire room was filled with Percys. Not only was Percy conducting his own funeral, he was the only one there!

I glanced over at Fred and George, who smiled. They weren't wearing glasses like everyone else, but that was okay; it would've been weird to have Percy's family all look like him.

"Just watch," Fred whispered. "The best part hasn't even come yet."

Sure enough, once Old Percy finished his speech--the _second _he stopped talking--wizbangs went off. They were all different colors, spelling out Percy's name at the end.

When it was over, I was still crying. But I was laughing, too.

* * *


	7. Chapter 7

**The Greatest Blog in the History of the Universe! **

**Pulling Pranks is What I Like to Do**

**_Monkey _**

Lupin's funeral is today.

This one should be fun--not only because, according to Harry, he was one-fourth of one of the greatest pranking groups Hogwarts has ever seen, but also because he left us a note saying he _wanted _us to pull a prank at his funeral. So this time, we'll have a way to stop Mum's rant before it even begins.

But since the element of surprise is half of what makes a great prank, we're going to wait until after the funeral to show everyone else the note.

* * *

**Me Against the World **

**_Stag _**

It was such a Remus thing to do.

His and Tonks' funeral was today. And while it was sad--especially when I saw baby Teddy--it was also sort of bittersweet. I kept remembering how he looked when I saw him that last time: young, strong, happy, whole. So even though we were left without him, I knew _he_ was at peace.

Several people--Fred and George included, of course, had dyed their hair bright pink for the occasion. In honor of Tonks, they said. I knew she would have loved it, but that was nothing compared to what came next.

The minister droned on and on about Remus, his life, his accomplishments, blah di blah di blah. I started thinking that if Remus were here, he wouldn't tolerate this. He'd pull a prank or something so they'd remember the _real _Remus. I hardly noticed the twins leave; I figured they were going to the bathroom or something.

Right then, Fred shouted "Release the hounds!" Music started playing, and everyone turned just in time to see a half-dozen wolf pups come bounding down the aisle, barking, panting, tripping over each other. They fanned out through the rows of chairs, wagging their tails and letting the guests get a good look at them. When I looked closer, I saw that every one of them had a collar saying "Moony." After a minute or two, I recognized the tune: "Welcome to the Jungle" by Guns N Roses.

The minister couldn't finish his speech, partly because everyone else was too distracted by the puppies; partly because one of the puppies was tugging on his robes, trying to get him to play.

Mrs. Weasley was not amused. We were all standing outside after the funeral and I could tell she was just working up to a really good rant when George told her that it's what Remus would have wanted.

"You said the same thing about Percy, George, and you are NOT getting away with that again!"

"No, really, Mum! He left us a note!"

Her anger died as she scanned the note, and by the end she was smiling. "I guess that is what he would've wanted," she said, handing it back. Then, after a minute, "Is that why you pulled that prank at Percy's funeral?"

They both smiled. "Yeah. That's why we did it."

Here's what the note said:

_Dear Fred and George, _

_Hi. Remus here. If you're reading this note, it's either because you've found a way around the enchantment I set up, or because I've been killed. Knowing you, either one is likely. _

_I'm addressing this note to you because you're the only two I trust to carry out my last wish. No, it's not "Go to Mexico, find some ancient Aztec ruins, and scatter my ashes in the shape of a trout," though if you want to do that, I won't stop you. No, my last request is simply this: Don't let people cry at my funeral. _

_Funerals are sad, even though they shouldn't be. Seriously, it's the last day dedicated to a person you loved, and everyone spends it bawling their eyes out? What kind of a sendoff is _that_? I think that the one day dedicated to someone you loved should be spent laughing, because what else are friends for? _

_A lot of people are going to lose their lives tonight, which means that there will be a lot of funerals. I trust you both to make sure they're not sob-fests, but celebrations of those who died. However, since this will be _my _last hurrah, I'm sure you won't mind if I help you out a bit. _

_A few weeks ago, Tonks and I found some abandoned wolf pups. What else were we supposed to do? We took them in. Now, I know why. _

_If I'm killed, I want you to release them at my funeral. Just let them out, let them run around and say hi to everyone...they're very friendly and won't hurt anyone. I think it'd be funny if you put collars on them that say "Moony." Everyone who knew me will get the joke. _

_You're both awesome. You remind me so much of Sirius and James. Keep pranking, keep joking, and keep everyone else laughing. _

_Love, _

_Remus "Moony" Lupin _

_PS: I always liked Guns N Roses, so if you could play a song or two when you release the hounds, that would be faboo. (Fun word, isn't it? Faboo?) _

"He left notes for everyone," Fred said when I was done reading. "Here's yours, Harry."

_Dear Harry, _

_I hope you liked the prank Fred and George pulled at my funeral. If you read their note--which I'm sure you did--you'll know why I had them do it: I don't want the people I loved to remember me and bawl their eyes out. I want you all to laugh. _

_When I first met you, I knew you were Lily and James' son. It was impossible to mistake you for anyone else, you looked so much like James. But as I've gotten to know you, I've seen more and more Lily in you. You may have her eyes, but you also have much more than that--namely, her gift for seeing the best in people. You don't see what _is, _but what _can be. _You're hard not to like. _

_I love you like I loved James--like a brother. And while I'll miss you, I hope you don't waste too much time missing me. Life wasn't meant to be spent mourning. So don't. Think of me, but remember that I'll be with James and Sirius. _

_Live. Love every moment, except for the ones that suck. Let yourself laugh. With Fred and George around, that should be easy. _

_Love, _

_Remus "Moony" Lupin _


	8. Chapter 8

**The Greatest Blog in the History of the Universe! **

**Prankster for Life **

**_Chimpanzee _**

Today we have both Colin's funeral and Mrs. Malfoy's funeral.

Two in one day could be tricky...except for the fact that yesterday, we were with Draco when he met his only sane aunt. (Who knew Narcissa and Andromeda were sisters? We sure didn't.)

Anyway, Andy told us some interesting things about her sister: she liked fireworks and always wanted to be an opera singer. I don't think she would have appreciated a good prank, so we'll just go with something classy that'll make people smile.

* * *

**The World's Smartest Idiot **

**_Terrier _**

It was our third funeral in three days, and if it weren't for Fred and George's pranks, Mione and I would have dreaded going to another one. But the million Percys at Percy's funeral and the wolf pups at Remus' made them both...well, a celebration of their lives.

A lot of people were at Colin's funeral--his parents, Teri's family, some of his Muggle friends, and the DA. Everyone in the DA went because everyone liked Colin, and everyone who knew him agreed that he would have appreciated the prank Fred and George set up for him.

Near the casket was a display of things that reminded people of Colin--his wand, pictures of him, a picture of his pet Chihuahua, a camera, and a rubber chicken. He always liked rubber chickens, Teri said. So I guess it was fitting that Fred and George played with it from a distance throughout the entire ceremony.

They started small--pushing the chicken onto the floor, making it stand up then lay down again, stuff like that. Then they got bolder--making it fly close to the floor so the minister couldn't see it, dropping it in someone's lap, slowly moving it up onto the stage. (They moved it up step by step because the minister was getting suspicious, wondering why everyone kept giggling. That, and he'd spoken at Percy's and Remus and Tonks' funerals, too, and wasn't looking forward to another prank.)

Once the chicken was onstage behind the minister, the real fun began. First, they made it walk. Of course, everyone laughed, and the minister glanced behind him to see what was so funny.

Just the rubber chicken, lying there as innocent as can be.

Then, they made it dance. Again he turned around, and again it was just the chicken.

Finally, they made it fly up and smack the minister upside the head.

He turned around, caught the chicken in the act, and screamed "AHA!!" Everyone was laughing so hard he couldn't finish his speech.

* * *

**The Invisible Man **

**_Falcon _**

Mum's funeral was today. It probably would've been awful if I hadn't met my only sane aunt yesterday. (I had no idea I had another aunt, or that she was sane. I thought my entire family was crazy.) So Aunt Andy and I sort of stuck together.

It was a pretty small crowd--I'm still not sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. It seemed like more because of the Aurors that escorted Dad in, but they just stood at the back.

When we got there, it was quiet. But halfway through the minister's speech, opera music started playing--quietly at first, but then it got louder and louder. I thought the voice sounded familiar, so I looked at Aunt Andy and saw she was smiling.

"Who is this?" I whispered.

"It's Cissy," she said. "She always wanted to be an opera singer."

I just closed my eyes and listened. She had a beautiful voice, and if I just listened, it was almost like she was there with us, singing at her own funeral.

Once the minister was done speaking, fireworks went off, spelling her name in a dozen different colors. All I could think was, she would've liked this.

Afterward, I thought about talking to Dad again. Thought about it, but didn't. I figured he'd either ignore me or just say the same thing he did right after Mum died. (I didn't get much of an opportunity to talk to him anyway; the Aurors led him out just a few minutes after the ceremony ended.)

So I talked to Aunt Andy.

It was really nice talking to her, partly because she's the only sane aunt I have, and partly because Mum was her sister. She told me about Mum, and I told her about why I'd turned against YKW. By the time 6:00 rolled around, we were still talking, and I ended up being late meeting the others for dinner.

* * *

_If Draco seems a tad OOC, it's because he's in shock. _


	9. Chapter 9

**The Greatest Blog in the History of the Universe! **

**Let Love In **

**_Otter _**

I have a riddle for you: What do you get when you take several purebloods--one of them your boyfriend--and put them all in a Muggle house run by parents who aren't used to having more than two magical teenagers around?

Answer: Laughter, and lots of it.

Teri had us all over to her house after Draco got back from his mum's funeral because she has the biggest backyard and her dad is a gourmet chef. And since she'd already seen all of her and Colin's Muggle friends at the funeral and hadn't had much of a chance to see the DA at a place that was neither infested with Carrows nor depressing, me, Harry, Ron, and all of her friends from the DA went over to her house for dinner.

The first thing Ron, Ginny, Draco, Millicent, Luna, Neville and Theo did when we got there was stare at the lamp in the living room.

"What is it?"

"It's a lamp, duh!"

"Well, yeah, but how does it work?"

"Magic?"

"It's Muggle, genius."

When Mr. Greengrass came in, he was confused at first. Then, when he heard what they were all saying about the lamp, he laughed.

"It runs on electricity," he said. They all whirled around and stared at him. "If you want, I can explain it to you later on."

Introductions followed, and then we all went into the kitchen. Once again, all the purebloods stopped dead in their tracks when they saw the latest miracle of Muggle technology: the fridge.

"Whoa..."

"What is it?"

"It's a fridge," Mr. Greengrass said, laughing again. "It keeps food cold."

Theo opened the door. "Whoa...it lights up!"

Harry and I laughed along with Teri and her parents as Ron poked the light bulb, Draco played with the ice maker and tried to figure out where all the ice came from, and the rest wondered how the food stayed cold without magic.

"Don't you guys want to go get something to eat?" Teri said after a minute or two.

They agreed, somewhat reluctantly, and we all went outside. Dinner was great--Teri's dad used this special marinade with the chicken so it was AMAZING--and we sat outside talking for a while. We talked about Colin, remembering things he did that made us laugh, and we all agreed that if he could have seen it, he would've loved the prank Fred and George pulled at his funeral.

It was dark when the lightning started, so we all sat outside watching it until it started raining. It was Luna who said what we were all thinking:

"It's almost like they're here, just watching the lightning with us."

* * *

**Me Against the World **

**_Stag _**

I don't think Draco will be going back to his house anytime soon.

He went to get his stuff today--mostly just clothes, so he wouldn't have to become a nudist, he said. Even though several Aurors went along to make sure there weren't any lethal surprises lurking in the closets or anywhere else, he asked me, Ron, Theo and the twins to go along, too. Moral support, I guess.

His dad hadn't set up any enchantments to keep him out, which was good. We got into the house easily enough, but when we got inside, Draco just stopped in the entryway, looking around. I thought he was looking for enchantments at first, but then one of the Aurors told him that there weren't any he could find.

He kept staring into the parlor.

I followed his gaze, and I knew it wasn't any kind of charm that kept him there. Looking into the parlor, I could almost see Bellabitch threatening Hermione's life, and I knew that's what Draco saw, too. The chandelier might have been repaired, but the memories stayed the same.

"Don't you need your stuff?" one of the Aurors said. Draco shook his head, nodded, then ran up the stairs two at a time. The rest of us followed.

It didn't take long for him to pack; he just threw his clothes and a few other things into his school trunk, slammed it shut, and tapped it with his wand to make it lighter.

We got out of there as fast as we could.

* * *


	10. Chapter 10

**Our Little Corner of the Internet **

**_DA Members Only _**

**Confuzzled: **Did you guys hear about the Carrows' trial coming up?

**PressingOn: **Yeah...I just got an owl telling me I had to testify there.

**YouCanCallMeE: **Me too.

**Loony: **I got one for the Carrows AND one for Draco's dad, since I was locked in their cellar for four months.

**YouCanCallMeE: **I think I've got you beat...I got one for ALL of the Death Eaters I had the displeasure of knowing.

**PressingOn: **...wow...

**HorseLuver14: **Wow...I just got one for the Carrows so far.

**YouCanCallMeE: **Yeah...Shacklebolt said I won't have to testify at ALL of their trials--just the ones I knew personally. For all the others he said I'd just have to tell him everything I knew and they'd use that info at their trials.

**Confuzzled: **Still, that's a lot.

**MiseryBusiness:** You all got called to testify at the Carrows' trial, too?

**Confuzzled: **Yep.

**KiltedStranger: **Same here.

**YouCanCallMeE: **Are they going to make you testify at your dad's trial, Theo?

**KiltedStranger: **Yeah. How about you?

**YouCanCallMeE: **Yeah.

**PressingOn: **They're going to make you testify against your own dad?

**KiltedStranger: **Not against, exactly, even though that's probably what it'll end up being. Shacklebolt said he's just going to ask us a few questions relevant to the case, and we'll just tell them what we know.

**YouCanCallMeE: **Crap...

**PressingOn: **What?

**YouCanCallMeE: **I just realized...even with my tesitmony, Dad's going to prison.

**PressingOn: **Couldn't you just skip all the stuff that'll send him to prison?

**YouCanCallMeE: **No, I think that's called lying under oath, and I'm pretty sure that's illegal. I can try and get his sentence reduced, but still.

**MiseryBusiness: **I just got another owl.

**PressingOn: **Let me guess: it was telling you you have to testify at Crabbe and Goyle's trial, too.

**MiseryBusiness: **You got one, too?

**HorseLuver14: **At least I'm not the only one.

**YouCanCallMeE: **Crap...

**KiltedStranger: **Let's just hope none of them ever escape from Azkaban.

* * *

**Journal of a Hogwarts Kid **

**_Pressing On _**

I've never testified at a trial before--Muggle OR wizard--so this will be a first. Not that I'm looking forward to it.

I mean...I don't know. I don't want to testify at their trials, but I do want them to go to prison.

I guess I just don't want to face them again.

* * *

**The Greatest Blog in the History of the Universe! **

**Otter: **They're making you testify against your dad?

**Falcon: **That's what it boils down to, yeah.

**Otter: **I'm sorry...

**Terrier: **Man, that sucks.

**Falcon: **Yeah.

**Stag: **At least YOU'RE not going to Azkaban.

**Falcon: **Yeah...Teri told me that when she asked Shacklebolt about that, he laughed.

**Otter: **I don't think there was ever a question.

**Falcon: **Yeah...I guess turning traitor against Phil automatically gets you out of Azkaban.

**Terrier: **Or any other prison, for that matter.

**Falcon: **Yeah.

**Terrier: **If your dad goes to Azkaban, don't you get all the family money, though?

**Falcon**: I think so. Not that I know what to do with it yet.

**Terrier**: What do you mean?

**Falcon**: I mean, I don't know of anything I want to buy. I've got clothes, I still have my wand, and I don't have to worry about finding an apartment just yet. I will eventually, but...I dunno.

**Stag: **Yeah, I understand. My parents left me a bunch of money when they died, and I don't think I'm ready to buy an apartment yet.

**Otter: **I'm sure you'll think of something. Job training, maybe.

**Falcon: **If I knew what I wanted to do.

**Terrier: **We could go out and buy a ton of pointless crap...

**Falcon: **That actually sounds kind of fun.

* * *

**Our Little Corner of the Internet **

**_DA Members Only _**

**PressingOn: **Ugh...any idea what to wear to a trial?

**YouCanCallMeE: **How about clothes?

**PressingOn: **That's a good place to start.

**Fervenugen: **How about clothes that make it easy to moon the Carrows?

**PressingOn: **LOL!!

**MiseryBusiness: **I'm guessing something nice.

**HorseLuver14: **I don't know...maybe we should wear something different from what the Carrows will be wearing. To show we're not like them.

**PressingOn: **You mean, like...Muggle clothes?

**HorseLuver14: **Why not?

**MiseryBusiness: **That's a good idea.

**PressingOn: **It is! And Muggles have all kinds of different styles--preppy, goth, punk, hippie, grunge, skater...

**YouCanCallMeE: **I think I finally know what I'll spend part of my vast family fortune on!

* * *

_A few things..._

_1) Since the Trio wasn't AT Hogwarts until the final battle, they won't be called to testify at very many trials. They'll probably be called to testify at Lucius Malfoy's trial, but they didn't mention it on their online chat with Draco because...well, when your friend is having a hard time because he's going to have to testify against his own dad, you don't say "Oh, yeah, I'm going to testify against him too! Look out, Azkaban, here comes Lucius Malfoy!"  
2) Draco is going to testify against everyone because, as a Death Eater, he had access to invaluable information that can help bring the truth to light. He's going to testify against his dad because, even though most of the stuff he knows about his dad IS incriminating, some of it (like the fact that LM only served YKW out of fear (mostly)) might reduce his sentence.  
3) I am no expert on wizard law, and JK Rowling gave me precious little to work with considering that the only two trials she showed were kind of bogus (since they were both conducted by Umbridge). I am not an expert in Muggle law, either. I don't even watch_ Judge Judy_. So most of this trial stuff is gleaned from what I know of how our legal system works and speculation on the wizard legal system. _


	11. Chapter 11

**Our Little Corner of the Internet **

**_DA Members Only_**

**Journal of a Hogwarts Kid **

**_Pressing On _**

Well, we're all heading to the mall today to get some Muggle clothes for the Carrows' trial--all the trials, really. (We thought it'd be cool if we all dressed in Muggle clothes to show that we're not like them. The Carrows, I mean.)

Draco is paying for most of it, mostly because his family is LOADED and with his dad most definitely going to prison, he's going to have control over all the money. So I guess this will be his first real trip into the Muggle world, if you don't count dinner at my house.

This should be good.

**

* * *

**

Not One of Them Involving You

**_Misery Business _**

I grew up thinking that the wizarding world was the only world worth living in. Muggles were stupid and their world was dingy, dirty and not worth bothering with.

I started thinking it was a lie around the time I joined the DA (actually, it was a little bit before that), but today I went to the mall with some other DA members and saw just how wrong that old idea was.

Muggle malls are big. Huge. It's like...like taking Diagon Alley and Knockturn Alley, mixing them together and adding a few more shops, and putting all of those stores under one roof. Oh, and all of the restaurants are in the middle. None of the doors are ever closed, and none of the restaurants even HAVE doors, so all of the smells of the Food Court blend together. This may sound weird, but it actually smells AMAZING. Some of the food tastes funny, but I tried this stuff called pizza and I think I'm addicted. Soda isn't bad, either. It has bubbles in it.

And this may sound weird, but I actually LIKE Muggle clothes. I got some cool outfits for the trials--one is a red plaid skirt, shoes called Converse (or just Cons), a black shirt that says "No, really...what happened to your face?" in white letters, and some jewelry. We're going to put some red streaks in my hair just before the trial, so that should look really cool.

It took me FOREVER to find it, but when I tried it on, I knew I'd found the right one because...well, it looked REALLY good. That feeling was confirmed when I walked out and saw the look on Theo's face.

"Wow...that...that looks REALLY good, Millie."

I grinned. "Thanks."

"You should get that one."

"I will."

And I did. Theo tried on some stuff in that same store, but he just looked weird. (Actually, that's not strictly true. When he came out of the dressing room, it was really hard for me not to laugh, and when he saw I was holding back a giggle, he stormed back into the dressing room muttering under his breath.) He ended up getting a kilt and a black T-shirt, as well as Cons. (Cons are cool.)

When he came out of the dressing room wearing it, I told him he looked good--and asked him what his dad would say when he saw it.

"Say? _Say_? He wouldn't _say _anything, he'd be too busy having a massive coronary!"

Our eyes met, and we grinned at exactly the same moment. He bought the outfit.

* * *

**Journal of a Hogwarts Kid **

**_Pressing On _**

Seeing a bunch of purebloods who have never been out of the wizarding world in the mall is hilarious.

Before heading to the mall, everyone borrowed Muggle clothes from everyone else, but they didn't help us blend in much. The first thing everyone did when we got there was stand in the entryway, looking around and marvelling at everything. Harry, Mione and I tried to get them to follow us, but they all just kept staring.

"Um, guys, we're not going to blend in if you keep staring at everything like you've never seen it before," Harry finally said.

"Well, we _haven't _seen it before," Millicent said, "so that point is moot."

"Just..._act _like you've seen it all before. Act bored."

We finally got them out of the entryway and into the rest of the mall, but it took us FOREVER to get to the first store because everyone had to stop and look at something. Draco's something was _Guitar Hero. _He just stood there, watching this other guy play it with this look of longing on his face until his turn came. He's actually pretty good at it--he got 78 percent on "Heart Shaped Box" by Nirvana. Granted, it was on Easy, but it was still pretty good.

Even though I had a vague idea of what I wanted, it still took me a while to find it. I finally settled on a dark green skirt, a blue top with flowy sleeves, strappy sandals, a beaded anklet, and a beaded bracelet for the Carrows' trial. For Crabbe and Goyle's I got a brown skirt, a green tunic-type top, and some bracelets.

Draco found his outfit almost immediately. In just a few stores, he had a blue-and-green tie-dye shirt, baggy jeans, flip-flops, Cons, and a peace necklace. He also got some band tees--one brown with the last verse of "Stairway to Heaven" on it, one black that says "Queen--We Will Rock You," and another Pink Floyd one.

He should go Muggle more often. The hippie look works for him.

* * *

**The Greatest Blog in the History of the Universe! **

**Let Love In **

**_Otter _**

I should have known Ron wouldn't like clothes shopping.

I should have known he'd get distracted by something stupid.

Here's what happened: When we first got to the mall, he just stood there in the entryway, staring at everything until Harry told him to act bored. We split up, and Ron and I went off together. Still, it wasn't long before Ron found something more interesting than the stuff in the entryway: the candy machines.

Now, I've never seen an 18-year-old stand in rapt fascination in front of a bunch of candy machines, but it's hilarious.

"What are you laughing at?" Ron said. "They're cool!"

When I could stop laughing, I grabbed his arm and steered him into the first store. Again, he just stared.

"What am I supposed to buy here again?"

"Clothes. See anything you like?"

"I dunno."

I rolled my eyes, grabbed some T-shirts and jeans, and told him to try them on. All I can say is...the preppy look does NOT work for him.

"Mione, if you're just going to keep laughing at me--"

"No, no I'm...I'm sorry," I said, trying to stop. "It's just...you should never, ever, EVER wear a polo shirt again. C'mon, let's try another store."

Along the way, I picked up things I liked: a denim skirt, a red plaid blouse, a tan plaid minidress with brown leggings, and a few other tops. (I've decided that I LOVE having a friend who has a ton of money and doesn't mind spending it. Ron felt weird about spending Draco's money until I pointed out (in private, of course) that it wasn't really Draco's, it was Lucius', and that if he could see that his money was going to buy Muggle clothes, his stupid ugly head might very well explode. Ron was much less shy about spending the Malfoy family fortune after that.)

Finally, we found some clothes Ron liked: a blue-and-brown plaid shirt, a red flannel plaid shirt, white tanks, jeans, a black T-shirt, several military-type hats, and two pairs of Cons (one black, one brown).

"You should go Muggle more often," I said as we went to meet the others. "The whole 'disciple of Kurt Cobain' look works for you."

We stopped outside the window of a pet store because there were puppies there. Granted, Remus had already willed one of the wolf puppies to me, but if there are puppies in a window, you're almost obligated to stop and look at them. One of them was a pug.

Ron stared at it. "Holy crap...it's Pansy Parkinson!"

For about the fifteenth time that day, I laughed.

* * *

_I'll cover the rest of their shopping trip in the next chapter. _


	12. Chapter 12

**Our Little Corner of the Internet **

**_DA Members Only _**

**I'm Loopy **

**_Loony _**

Muggle malls are cool. The only problem is that they're also big, and when the others all paired off and left us...well, we were kind of lost.

"Do you know where we're supposed to go?" Neville said.

"No, not really, no."

"All right, then...want to try that store over there?"

It looked as good a store as any, so we went inside. All I'm going to say is: BIG mistake. It was dark, creepy, and just plain weird.

We stuck to safe-looking stores after that. Neville ended up getting several T-shirts and polo shirts, flip-flops and jeans, and I got a white skirt, a blue skirt, and several T-shirts. I also got some jewelry and flip-flops. In between all that, though, we just wandered around the mall, looking at all the sights. I guess we forgot Harry's advice to "act bored" because a mall security guard tapped us both on the shoulder and asked if he could help us.

"Help us with what?" I asked.

"Anything. You two looked lost."

"Um, we're not lost. Just looking around."

He still looked suspicious. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, we're sure."

He left us alone after that, but when we told the others about it, Harry slapped himself in the forehead.

"_That's _why I told you guys to act bored! That guy probably thought you were planning a heist and were looking for a good way to get past the cameras!"

"Cameras?"

"Security cameras. To make sure nobody's stealing anything."

Neville and I just looked at each other.

* * *

**Gryffindor and Proud **

**_Horse Luver 14 _**

Muggle malls are fun. The mall we went to was big--not as big as Hogwarts as a whole, but still pretty big. We split up, and Harry and I went off together.

"Okay, Ginny, just act bored," he said. So I did, but it was hard.

It didn't take Harry long to find what he wanted: dark jeans, a tan-and-black striped T-shirt with a cool design in one corner, black wristbands, and tennis shoes. It took me a little longer, but I finally found a black-and-grey striped shirt, a denim miniskirt with black leggings, black flats, and some cool silver jewelry.

We all met in the Food Court and showed off what we'd bought. Teri told us what the styles are called, and here's what everyone is dressing in:

Me and Harry: Emo  
Ron and Mione: Grunge  
Teri and Draco: Hippie  
Theo and Millie: Punk  
Neville and Luna: Preppy

I know this is going to sound bad, but I'm actually excited for the trial. Not that I want to see the stupid Carrows again, but I can't wait to see the looks on their faces when we all walk in dressed like Muggles.

* * *

_Now, I like clothes just as much as the next guy (I'm not a nudist, after all), but you have no idea how hard it was to devote two entire chapters to CLOTHES. Man..._

_Finally, we move on to the trials! A big thanks to books4evah for telling me the basics about court systems. _


	13. Chapter 13

**Our Little Corner of the Internet **

**Journal of a Hogwarts Kid **

**_Pressing On _**

The first round of trials was today. (McGonagall said that because the sentencing part shouldn't be too hard, they're going to try and do several trials each day.) Today was the Carrows' trial.

When we got there, the courtroom was already full of witches and wizards who had come to watch, not to mention the wizengamot (sort of like a Muggle jury, only majority rules instead of unanimous vote). They were all wearing robes, so you can imagine what it was like when we walked in wearing Muggle clothes.

I was nervous. I know that the tables were turned and now _I_ was the one with power over the Carrows, but I still didn't want to face them.

"You'll do fine, Ter," Draco said just before we went in. I nodded, even though I didn't quite believe him. Sort of involuntarily, I reached out and grabbed his hand. We both looked at our hands for a minute, then at each other, then away, but we didn't let go.

We walked into the courtroom in pairs--me and Draco, Ron and Hermione, Harry and Ginny, Neville and Luna, Theo and Millie. _Everyone _stared at us as we walked past. _Everyone _whispered something. None of us looked at them. We just kept walking until we reached a spot near the judge's stand and the chairs for the accused (well, more like chairs for the guilty in this case) and sat down. A moment later, the dementors brought in the Carrows. As they left, the Carrows sat down and the chains that had been dangling from the arms of the chairs came up and wrapped themselves around the Carrows, tying them to the chairs.

Shacklebolt read the charges--following YKW and using the Cruciatus Curse on students. I guess it was just court procedure, because everyone knew why they were there. My palms started to sweat as they made their excuses, and all too soon he called me to the stand.

"You'll do fine," everyone said.

At the back of my mind, I knew they were right. But the last thing I wanted to do was face the Carrows again.

* * *

**The Greatest Blog in the History of the Universe!**

**The Invisible Man **

**_Falcon _**

I could tell Teri was nervous. Everyone could, but no one could blame her. Even _I _wasn't looking forward to facing the Carrows again.

She walked over to a chair next to Shacklebolt without looking to the right or the left. She just stared straight ahead, then sat down, looked at her hands, and decided to stare at the wall beyond the Carrows instead.

"Miss Greengrass," Shacklebolt began, pacing, "the Carrows stand accused of using the Cruciatus Curse on students as a punishment. Is this true?"

"Yes," she said quietly.

"And is it true that you were also one of these students?"

"Yes." She paused, then continued. "I was only one of those students because I'm Muggleborn. They never used it on pureblood students. Once in a while they'd get a half-blood, but most of the time it was just us."

"_We _weren't the ones doing the torturing," Alecto cut in.

"Not most of the time. In the beginning they'd demonstrate, but after that it was mostly students. But it was their idea."

"Hey, they deserved it!" That was from Amycus. "They were rude, disrespectful little brats!"

"No we weren't!" Teri's control evaporated. "You _baited _us!"

Shacklebolt's frown deepened. "Baited you?"

She drew a deep breath. "The first time it happened--the first time I was Cruciated--it was because of a pop quiz in Muggle Studies. We all got a different quiz based on our blood status: purebloods got easy questions like 'What is a Muggle?', half-bloods got medium questions like 'What is electricity and why do Muggles need it? and us Muggleborns got impossible questions like 'Why can't Muggles use magic?' When I handed it in, she corrected it right there in front of me and gave me a big, fat zero." She paused again, and I heard everyone else in the courtroom muttering. "I told her I didn't think it was fair, and she gave me detention."

Shacklebolt paused, then thanked her, and she sat down. He called me up next.

* * *

**Real Men Wear Kilts **

**_Kilted Stranger _**

Draco walked up to the stand like it was no big deal, just another day in the neighborhood. I knew it was all an act, of course; he had told me the day before the trial that he hoped the Carrows either get locked up until they rot, or are locked up until they _start _to rot at which point they recieve the Dementor's Kiss.

Before he sat down, Shacklebolt caught his eye and made a motion for him to take off his hat. He obeyed, shook his blonde hair loose, and dropped the hat onto the floor. He sat in the chair casually, one hand in his lap, the other resting on the arm of the chair while he drummed his fingers against it. I saw him smile slightly as he glanced at the Carrows and caught the look on their face. Evidently, they weren't expecting him to be wearing a tie-dyed shirt and a peace necklace to their trial.

"Mr. Malfoy, it has already been established that the Carrows condoned the use of the Cruciatus Curse on Muggleborn students. My question to you is simple: How bad was it?"

"Really bad. I knew about it beforehand, and always tried to avoid getting roped into doing it--"

"Getting...roped into it? You mean, not all students volunteered?"

"Oh, no. Some of them volunteered--Crabbe and Goyle were the worst--but for most of the rest of us Slytherins, it was just another thing we had to do. I always made excuses until I found out how bad it really was." He paused. "In the school, there's an out-of-order bathroom that became a DA hideout. Teri and I would meet in there and talk sometimes--"

Amycus muttered something under his breath.

"Anyways, one night before curfew, I went into the bathroom to meet with someone. Teri was there already, crying on the floor." He paused again, but the courtroom was silent, waiting for what he'd say next. "I asked her what was wrong, and she told me what had happened about the quiz and getting detention." He paused again. "It wasn't the last time she got detention, either. Several times after that, I'd be waiting in the bathroom and she'd stumble in, and I'd know what had happened."

For the first time, he looked at the Carrows. I could almost feel the hatred from across the room. "I'd spy on some of their online chats, and they'd be talking about all the Muggleborns they'd signed up for detention. Again, all Muggleborns, and none of them for a good reason."

"And what would you consider to be a good reason, Mr. Malfoy?"

"Well, torturing someone because they farted in class is a good reason to get tortured," he said, and the courtroom laughed. "Seriously, there was a Gryffindor Muggleborn in one of my classes and he ripped one, and when I hung around by the door after class I heard Amycus giving him detention. They _looked _for reasons to give detentions, and when they couldn't find any, they'd make one up."

Shacklebolt thanked him, and Draco sat down.

"Looks like it'll be the second one," I whispered.

"Second what?"

"Second option. You know, have them thrown in Azkaban until they start to rot and then have them Kissed."

He chuckled, and Shacklebolt called Neville, Ginny and Luna up next.

* * *

_Once more: No expert in court procedures am I. Using my imagination and info gleaned from books4evah and _Legally Blonde _I am. Sue me you must not. _


	14. Chapter 14

**The Greatest Blog in the History of the Universe! **

**Let Love In **

**_Otter _**

Since none of us were at Hogwarts for this year, Harry, Ron and I just watched everyone else testify against the Carrows. When I heard Teri's testimony, I couldn't help be thankful that I wasn't at Hogwarts this past year. I knew that if I'd been at Hogwarts, I would've gotten detention for no good reason and Ron probably would've gotten himself beaten up--or worse. Going on the Great Horcrux Hunt is better than being Cruciated any day.

Neville, Ginny and Luna were called up after Draco sat down. None of them looked at the Carrows as they took their seats, but Luna tossed her hair over one shoulder and Ginny fiddled with her silver bangles.

"Mr. Longbottom, as leader of the renegade group called Dumbledore's Army, did you have any knowledge of the detentions?"

"Yes. Snape sort of warned us over the blog that detentions would get more severe, but none of us knew how bad it really was until Draco told us over our blog."

"I always knew he was a traitor," Alecto said.

"No you didn't!" Ginny said. "You don't even know what you had for breakfast this morning!"

"Of course I do!"

"Then what did you have?" Luna said.

"Toast."

"It was _porridge, _you dolt!" Amycus said. I'm sure that if he hadn't been chained, he would've smacked her.

"Order, order," Shacklebolt said when he could control his laughter. "So. You all knew about the detentions."

"Yes."

"And, as purebloods, were any of you ever subjected to the Cruciatus Curse?"

All of them said no.

"When we got detention, they beat us up," Neville said. Spectators in the courtroom gasped and muttered.

"Beat you up?"

"Yes. It started around...well, around Easter break, I guess. None of us were doing what they wanted us to, so to try and get us to comply, they'd punch us a few times."

Shacklebolt looked at the Carrows, who looked away. "Did you witness the Carrows baiting Muggleborns into detention?"

They all said yes. "What Drake--Draco--said about that poor kid getting detention for farting in class is true," Neville said. "I was there."

"They did worse than that," Luna added. "You know how he told you about the quiz? Well, they'd do stuff like that _all the time. _They'd catch a Muggleborn in the hallway, reprimand them for something insignificant, then give them detention when they were late for class."

"Yeah, or they'd bump into them in the hallway and knock all of their stuff out of their hands, and then say it was _their _fault," Ginny cut in. "They were _mean._"

"Draco did it, too!" Alecto said. "He'd go up to Mudbloods and call them names!"

"He called me 'filthy Mudblood,' which I've heard a billion times, so it doesn't mean anything anymore" Teri said from the sidelines. "And the rest of the time he'd say stuff like 'my wet shoes bark at the moon--'"

"--which is really only an insult if you're criminally insane," Neville finished. "Draco was on our side all along."

Shacklebolt thanked them, then went back to his stand. "Well, given this _mountain_ of evidence, I say it merits a life sentence in Azkaban. What do you think?" he said to the wizengamot. They all nodded and murmured their agreement.

"All in favor...?"

Unanimously, they raised their hands. Shacklebolt nodded, and the dementors came and took them away. Neither seemed able to say anything, but the DA had plenty to say.

"See ya later, losers!"

"So long, fatsos!"

"Thanks for the memories, even though they weren't so great!"

The last one was from Draco, and everyone laughed. Of course, our laughter died when the dementors brought in the next Death Eater: Lucius Malfoy.

* * *

**Our Little Corner of the Internet **

**I'm Loopy**

**_Loony _**

Since I had been locked in the Malfoys' cellar for four months, I had to testify against Lucius, too. Right away I knew that this trial wouldn't be fun like the Carrows' had been, although the look on his face when he saw Draco dressed like a hippie was priceless. Me and Draco were called up together, so I just stayed where I was as he read the charges: two counts of murder and three of using the Cruciatus Curse to get information.

"Miss Lovegood," Shacklebolt said. Court procedure was starting to get a little annoying. "While imprisoned in the Malfoys' cellar, did you overhear anything?"

"Not at first," I said. "At first, I was too busy trying to escape. Later on, though, I heard stuff--mostly mundane, about the weather and whatnot."

"Did you hear anything...incriminating?"

"Well, one day I heard him come in, and he and Bellabit--_Bellatrix Lestrange--_were near the cellar, and she asked 'Is he dead?' and he said yes, and she said 'The Dark Lord should be pleased,' and he said 'I hope so.'"

"Do you have any idea why he'd hope He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named would be pleased with him?"

I thought about saying "Well, he's a friggin' Death Eater," but Draco interrupted with "You have to understand that my family wasn't exactly on the best of terms with Phi--You-Know-Who. Not that it excuses anything, but I'm guessing Dad was just afraid for his life."

"You're _guessing_?"

"Dad didn't really tell me much when he wrote me at Hogwarts."

"Did you find out more when you came home for Christmas and Easter?"

We both knew he did, but I knew he wouldn't want to say so. "Yes," he said very quietly. "Yes, I did."

I've never seen Lucius Malfoy look so betrayed. "Draco..."

"Mum told me about it when I got home. It was a few days later, 'cause I had the flu, but she...she told me that Dad had gotten some information that would help us, and that one of the people who'd been getting in our way was dead. Not that I was happy about it, but...you know..."

"You were plenty happy about it," Lucius snapped.

"No I wasn't. I was _acting." _

I guess he was too tired or shocked or something to argue, because everyone was quiet for a minute or two. Finally, Shacklebolt thanked us, and we sat down. Draco put his head in his hands.

"I can't believe it," he moaned. "I'm sending my own dad to prison."

Nobody said anything as Harry, Ron and Hermione were called up.

* * *

_Yes, I'm making up charges based on what we know of Lucius and Phil. How did you know? _


	15. Chapter 15

**The Greatest Blog in the History of the Universe! **

**The Invisible Man **

**_Falcon_**

If I said I didn't want to send Dad to prison at all, I'd probably be lying.

Part of me didn't want to send him to prison, but part did. I knew that if I ended up sending him to Azkaban, he'd hate me forever, but at the back of my mind I also knew he'd be out of my life. I wasn't completely sure I wanted that.

But I couldn't lie, so I didn't. I just told Shacklebolt what I knew, which is the same thing Luna, Harry, Ron and Mione did when they were called to the stand.

"Mr. Potter," he began, "when you and your friends were captured and taken to Malfoy Manor, how would you describe Lucius Malfoy's behavior?"

"Elated," he said.

"It was like he'd just won the lottery," Ron added. "He said something about 'If we turn Potter and his friends over, all will be forgiven.'"

"So, like Draco said, he was just trying to get out of hot water where He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was concerned." I don't know why he kept using THAT nickname for YKW. Once he heard about the DA's nickname, he called YKW Phil just as much as we did.

"Maybe," Harry said.

"What do you mean, maybe?"

He took a deep breath. "Well, last year--sixth year, I mean--before Draco turned traitor, _he_ was trying to get out of hot water with You-Know-Who, too. But when an opportunity came to prove himself, he was anything but happy about it. His dad was _thrilled _when he saw us."

I knew why that was important. Part of the reason I got off scot-free was because the only reason I'd worked for YKW at ALL was so he wouldn't kill me, and the whole reason I joined him in the first place was so he wouldn't kill my family. I knew that my reasons and Dad's reasons were about as different as YKW and a cute little kitten with a crooked tail and a lazy eye, and it looked like Harry and his friends were setting out to prove that.

"Exactly," Hermione said. "It didn't seem like he was just trying to get his family out of trouble. If that had been his only goal, he would've been less...excited."

Dad looked at me, and I fiddled with my peace necklace. There was no way I could dig him out of this mess he'd gotten himself into, and no way I was going to try.

He got life in Azkaban. The only good thing about that is that after the trial, Shacklebolt said something about banning dementors if he becomes the permanent Minister of Magic.

* * *

**Me Against the World **

**_Stag _**

I never thought I'd say this, but I actually felt sort of bad about sending Lucius Malfoy to prison. Probably because his son is one of my friends (never thought I'd say that either).

But there was no reversing the sentence, and I thought it was best. Best because someone once said that a true friend will tell you the truth even when it's hard to hear. I guess that the extension of that is that a true friend will do what's best for you in the long run, even if it sucks at first.

When Draco stopped acting like his dad--when he finally got the hint that Lucius Malfoy is a BAD role model--he turned into a really nice guy. With his dad out of the picture permanently, Draco wouldn't have that bad role model breathing down his neck. He'd be free to do whatever he wanted without risking his dad's disapproval. And if the way he's acted toward Teri lately is any indication of where his life is headed, it doesn't take a genius to know that Lucius Malfoy would NOT approve.

* * *


	16. Chapter 16

**Our Little Corner of the Internet **

**Not One of Them Involving You **

**_Misery Business_**

After the Carrows and Draco's dad were tried, we all went home for the night. But the next day was Crabbe and Goyle's trial, and since Theo and I were in Slytherin with them, we were two of the main witnesses. So we were first, along with Draco.

I wore my favorite new outfit for the trial--the red plaid skirt, T-shirt and Cons. I had also put red streaks in my hair and, just before leaving the mall, I had bought some black lipstick. Not only that, but Theo was wearing a kilt, Cons, and a black T-shirt. So as you can imagine, the look on their faces when they saw us was PRICELESS. I just smiled.

"You look stupid, Theodore," Crabbe said when the dementors left.

"Have you looked in a mirror lately?" I said. Theo slugged my arm playfully.

"You stole my line!" I grinned, but didn't have time to retort before Shacklebolt began the trial.

"These two stand accused of using the Cruciatus Curse on Muggleborn students," he said. "Is this true?"

"Yes," Theo said. "While everyone in Slytherin was sort of expected to at one time or another, these two were the worst."

"Most of the rest of us would just wait until our turn came and make excuses," Draco said. "A few of us faked it. But they _volunteered." _

"And they'd brag about it," Theo said. . For the first time, he let some of the disdain we both felt creep into his voice. "They'd come back laughing about whatever poor Muggleborn they got, talking about how loud she screamed or how he tried to get away even though he was chained to the wall..."

"Ask any Slytherin you like if you don't believe us," I said. "We all had to listen to it."

"And like I said before, I saw the aftermath," Draco said. "By the way, if they even _try _to tell you they were Imperioused, they're lying."

"So I've gathered," Shacklebolt said, glaring at Crabbe and Goyle. "Mr. Malfoy, you knew them the longest. If given the chance, would they do it again?"

He looked them in the eye as he answered. "Yes. In a heartbeat."

Shacklebolt thanked us, then called Teri up next.

* * *

**The Greatest Blog in the History of the Universe! **

**The Invisible Man **

**_Falcon_**

I felt sorry for Teri, having to face the Carrows one day and Crabbe and Goyle the next. The upside to that was that her testimony almost guaranteed she would never have to face them again.

"Miss Greengrass," Shacklebolt said, "Mr. Malfoy said that if given the chance, these two would do it again. Mr. Nott and Miss Bullstrode said that they enjoyed torturing students. Is this true?"

"Absolutely," she said, looking at him instead of Crabbe and Goyle. "You can always tell when someone enjoys using the Cruciatus Curse on you because the pain is the worst. With someone who's just doing it because they have to...well, it still hurts, but not as bad. If the Carrows didn't like you, they'd make sure you got detention with Crabbe and Goyle, if that helps any."

"How often would they be doing detentions?"

"Every night they could."

"Hey, the Carrows told us you deserved it," Goyle said.

"Oh, and did they tell you you were smart, too? _Nobody _deserved it. Pretty much all of us were tricked or baited into getting detentions."

I guess he had enough evidence, because they got life in Azkaban, too. As they were led out by the dementors, they both glared at me.

I hope they don't escape. That would really, really suck.

* * *


	17. Chapter 17

**Our Little Corner of the Internet **

**Real Men Wear Kilts **

**_Kilted Stranger _**

While Draco's dad was apparently too hurt/shocked/depressed to argue with his son, it seemed my dad wasn't going to let the fact that he was on trial get in the way of his ability to argue with me. The first thing he said after the dementors left was "Theo, what the hell are you wearing?"

"Well, this is called a kilt, and this is a T-shirt, and these are Cons..."

"You look like a bloody Muggle."

"That's the idea."

"You could've at least had the decency to show up in something more decent!"

"This _is _decent!"

"It's a bloody kilt!"

"All right, all right, order!" Shacklebolt said, interrupting our argument over kilts. "Mr. Nott, these three stand accused of slaughtering an entire Muggle family. Is this true?"

"Yes," I said.

"He's lying," one of the other two Death Eaters whose name escaped me said. "I don't remember--"

"The only reason you don't remember is because you were so slobbering _drunk_ you didn't remember your own name," I said, and Shacklebolt's eyebrows shot up. "It's true. On the first night of Easter break, Dad had these two over. As usual, they broke out the firewhiskey and...well, they started out playing cards, but I guess that wasn't exciting enough, so they left the house. When they came back, they were laughing more loudly than usual and saying things like 'Did you see them run?' 'That's four less Muggles for us to worry about' and 'What are you talking about, there were six of 'em!'"

"So...you got drunk...and decided to kill an entire Muggle family?" Shacklebolt said as if he was still trying to believe it. "Well, then...I suggest a life sentence for all of them _and_ a lifetime ban from any kind of alcohol." I wasn't sure if they even served alcohol in Azkaban, but his suggestion sounded like a good idea to me.

"But...we were drunk!"

"Yeah...you do funny things when you're drunk--like streak through a courtroom with 'Salem Qudditch Cup '89' inked across your chest--and _nobody_ would do that sober!"

Shacklebolt blinked. I guess he was doing the same thing I was: trying to figure out how to answer that one.

"Well, the fact that _your _idea of drunken fun is killing Muggles and not just streaking through a courtroom is cause for alarm," McGonagall said from the stands, saving us both.

The vote was unanimous. They all got life in Azkaban, and I hope that they've tightened security. I don't want them getting drunk and coming after me.

* * *

**Not One of Them Involving You **

**_Misery Business _**

I hate Pansy.

I never thought I could hate her more than I did after what she said about Draco, but she proved me wrong.

We were all at her trial, trying to figure out how long of a sentence she'd get. Attempted murder, encouraging the use of the Cruciatus Curse on Muggleborn students, and conspiring to get students to join YKW were all pretty serious crimes, but they didn't exactly merit a life sentence. Draco, Theo and I all testified against her--her ex-best friend and two ex-boyfriends.

She was sentenced to twenty-five years in Azkaban, and just before the dementors came for her, she looked right at me.

"Full moon's coming up. Have fun, Millie."

I felt like she'd just punched me in the stomach. "What...what are you talking about?"

She smiled that sticky-sweet smile and cocked her head. "What, forget you're a werewolf?"

I just sat there, gaping. I should've expected her to do something like that, but this was a new low, even for Pansy. "H-how did you know?" I whispered.

"Yes, how did you know?" Shacklebolt said, signalling to the dementors to stay where they were. I guess the courtroom was quiet enough that he'd heard me.

"I just guessed," Pansy said quickly.

Everyone knew it was a lie. _Someone _had to have come along and freed Greyback after the battle, and Pansy had just told everyone that that _someone _was her. It didn't take Shacklebolt long to figure out what that meant.

"Your sentence has just doubled, Miss Parkinson," Shacklebolt said, and the wizengamot nodded their agreement. "If and when he attacks again, your sentence may increase. Take her away."

Everyone else stood, and I stood with them, staring after Pansy.

"She's in Azkaban," Shacklebolt said after a minute. "You got the last laugh."

I shook my head, eyes smarting. "No, she did. Mum and Dad are going to kill me."

* * *

_Again, making up crimes that sounded plausible. _

_BTW, after Pansy freed Greyback, she told him to run because YKW had been defeated. He told her about Millicent, and she hid out in the castle until she got arrested. He didn't eat her because she had just rescued him, and eating someone who just rescued you is NOT cool, even for a werewolf. _


	18. Chapter 18

**Our Little Corner of the Internet **

**_DA Members Only_**

**Real Men Wear Kilts **

**_Kilted Stranger _**

I thought _I _had it bad, having to testify against my own dad. Little did I know how Millie's parents felt about werewolves.

They had been sitting in the stands during Pansy's trial. Moral support, they said. (I was impressed that they actually _supported _her and Matt's decision to fight against Phil, but I guess they were never huge fans of him anyway.) And since they were sitting in the stands, they heard Pansy tell everyone there that Millie was a werewolf.

They didn't say much as we walked out of the courtroom, through the halls of the Ministry, and out into the lobby where Millie grabbed Matt's hand and we all Apparated back to their house. We had barely walked through the front door when her dad spoke up, none too kindly.

"So, Millicent, when were you going to tell us you're a werewolf?"

"I wasn't," she said quietly, looking away. Matt and I went into an adjoining room so we could hear them but they couldn't see us.

"So, what?" her mum said. "You were just going to _wait _until the full moon? Let us find out when you...went crazy and attacked us?"

"I wasn't going to attack you--"

"Don't give me that, Millie," her dad snapped. "That's what _all _werewolves do!"

"I was going to leave," she said. I could tell she was on the verge of tears. "I was going to go out and hide somewhere--"

"And do what?" he demanded. "Attack the neighbors? Go out into the Muggle world and attack _them_?"

"No! Go out and find, like, a barn or something and just hide there and then come back in the morning so nobody gets hurt!" She was crying now. "I didn't want this to happen!"

"Then why did you do it?"

"Do what? Get bit? Fight off Greyback because he was _killing _Colin right there in front of me? What was I supposed to do? Run away?"

"Yes!" That was her mum again. "You _knew _what would happen, you _had_ to have known!"

"_But I didn't want it_!" Now she was hysteric. "_I never wanted this to happen_!" When Matt and I looked out again, she was on her knees, sobbing. Her mum looked sorrowful; her dad, angry.

Matt and I looked at each other, then went out and stood on either side of Millicent.

"Look," Matt said, "I know what you guys are thinking. I know what you said about Professor Lupin when his secret got out. But what you probably don't know is that he was the best Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher we ever had, and none of us even knew he was a werewolf until that one night."

"Have you even been listening to us? Werewolves _eat _people--"

"Only during the full moon, and even then only if they haven't been taking wolfsbane."

"Tell that to Greyback." He smacked his palm against his forehead. "A _werewolf_--"

"Hey, just because the guy who bit her was a creepy perv doesn't mean _she's _going to end up like that! And stop acting like that's what's going to happen just because of what she is!"

"She did it to save someone," I said quietly.

"Look at the good _that_ did."

"You should be _proud _of her!" Matt said. "At least she _tried_! At least she's _alive_! She could be dead, or dying, or in St. Mungo's with the Longbottoms--"

"The Longbottoms never attacked anyone!"

We were getting nowhere fast. Sighing, I put a hand on Matt's shoulder and nodded toward the stairs. He sighed, then glared at his parents.

"I'm going to my room. C'mon, Millie."

We each grabbed one of her hands, helped her up off the floor, and went upstairs and sat with her in her room. She cried for a long time, and when the sobbing gave way to sniffling, I asked her if she was okay.

"I hate Pansy," was all she said.

* * *

**Journal of a Hogwarts Kid **

**_Pressing On _**

I was helping Dad scrub potatoes for dinner when the doorbell rang. When I opened the door, there stood Millicent, clutching the handle of her school trunk. I could tell she had been crying.

"Millie! What's wrong? What happened?"

"I...I ran away," she said. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't've come here, it was just the first place I thought of and--"

"Here, come inside," I said, and she did. "Why'd you run away? What happened?"

She sniffed. "It was my parents...I guess Pansy knew I was a werewolf, and at her trial she told everyone, and my parents were there..."

"Did they kick you out?"

"No, no...we just got in a fight. They never liked werewolves and I thought it'd be best if I just left." She reached down and grabbed the handle of her trunk. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't've come here, I'll just go--"

"No, you can stay," Mum said. I hadn't realized she was listening.

"No, I--I can't, I'll just find somewhere else--"

"Stop being ridiculous," Mum said, prying Millicent's hand from the trunk. "You can stay in the playroom. We have an extra mattress, some extra blankets..."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course. Now come into the living room and tell us what happened."

She told us about Pansy's trial and what she'd said, and how her parents had acted like it was all her fault she was a werewolf. Theo and Matt stuck up for her, which was good. By the time she finished, she was crying--and Mum looked like she was about to start.

"I figured that if they didn't want me there anymore, I'd just leave," she finished. Mum hugged her.

"Poor girl. You can stay here as long as you need to."

* * *


	19. Chapter 19

**Our Little Corner of the Internet **

**MeAgainstTheWorld: **She actually DID that?

**MiseryBusiness: **Yeah...told the entire courtroom.

**YouCanCallMeE: **She did. I was there.

**PenguinsRFun: **Bitch. What did your parents say?

**MiseryBusiness: **They weren't happy. We got into this huge fight and I ended up leaving.

**YouCanCallMeE: **Where are you now?

**MiseryBusiness: **Teri's house. It was the first place I thought of, and they said I could stay. Where's Theo?

**Fervenugen: **Our apartment.

**KiltedStranger: **I thought it'd be best if I left, too. You know...wait for things to blow over?

**MiseryBusiness: **I don't know if they ever will. My parents were LIVID when they found out about Lupin.

**PenguinsRFun: **Teri's parents don't mind? I mean, do they know you're a werewolf?

**MiseryBusiness: **Yeah. I told them.

**PenguinsRFun: **And they didn't freak out?

**MiseryBusiness: **Not really. They just asked me a bunch of questions about what I'd need, and they looked kind of surprised when I said I'd just need an abandoned shed or something during the full moon. They already had a tool shed that they said I could use.

**KiltedStranger: **Wow...that's kind of weird. I half expected you to say that they freaked out.

**MiseryBusiness: **Yeah, I expected them to freak out, too. But they were really cool about the whole thing.

**YouCanCallMeE: **You know how to soundproof the shed, right?

**MiseryBusiness: **Um, I know there's a spell I can use, but I don't know what it is...

**YouCanCallMeE: **It's called Muffliato and it's super easy. I can come over and show it to you later, if you want.

**MiseryBusiness: **That'd be great. Thanks.

**MeAgainstTheWorld: **Man, why does everyone ELSE know the COOL Muggles but I'm stuck with the Dursleys?

**YouCanCallMeE: **Dursleys?

**MeAgainstTheWorld: **My relatives. They don't like magic much and were REALLY mad when I got my acceptance letter for Hogwarts.

**YouCanCallMeE: **At least I'm not the only one with psycho relatives.

**MeAgainstTheWorld: **Yeah, really.

* * *

**The Greatest Blog in the History of the Universe! **

**The Invisible Man **

**_Falcon _**

As soon as all these trials are over, I'm going to talk to Shacklebolt and see if he knows how I can get the recipe for wolfsbane. (McGonagall already checked Snape's stuff, since he had the recipe while Lupin was teaching there, but I guess he got rid of it when he left. Gave it back to St. Mungo's or something.) So I'm going to see if I can get the recipe.

I've heard that it's pretty tough to make, but since I had the best Potions grades out of all of us--everyone who knows Millicent, I mean--and I see her pretty often, I guess I'm the most likely candidate to learn how to make it.

And no matter how hard it is to make wolfsbane, it can't be nearly as hard as going through all these trials--testifying against them, sending them to Azkaban, and then having them glare at me as they walk out. As if betraying YKW wasn't enough of a guarantee that they'll hate me and try to kill me once they get the chance...

Ugh.

* * *

**Minister by Default **

**_Lynx _**

It was the least I could do for the boy who risked everything to help us.

Draco Malfoy approached me today after the latest trial and asked me if I knew how he could get the recipe for wolfsbane. I couldn't help being surprised.

"That's a pretty tough potion," I said.

"So I heard. But I'm the best at Potions out of everyone who knows Millie, and I'm the only one with enough time on my hands to really learn how to make it. So...do you know where I could get it?"

"I'll talk to the head of St. Mungo's tomorrow."

So today, I went to the hospital to talk to John Rymore, the hospital director. I knew that the fact that we've been friends for a while wouldn't hurt, but I had no idea just how much it would do.

We talked for a minute, then I got to the point: "Do you know how I could get a copy of the wolfsbane recipe?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Pretty tricky potion. Who's it for?"

"His name is Draco Malfoy--"

"Draco Malfoy? _The _Draco Malfoy?"

"The traitor? Yes. That one."

"What's he want wolfsbane for?"

"It's one of his friends. Greyback bit her during the battle--"

"And she got infected and now he wants to see if he can make wolfsbane for her," he finished. I nodded, and John paused for a minute, thinking something over. "Is he pretty good with potions?"

"He said it was his best subject."

"He knows a lot about the Dark Arts, doesn't he? I mean, given who his parents were and what they did and what he was, he'd know a lot about curses and whatnot..."

I laughed. "Why so interested?"

He sighed. "Because...before You-Know-Who was defeated, his supporters did a lot of damage."

"I know."

"Not as much as you may think. You don't work here." He sighed again. "We know how to treat _some _of the curses and poisons they used, but none of us ever really studied the Dark Arts. We're doing our best with what we've got, but a few of our patients are suffering from ailments that frankly, we don't even know what they're called, much less how to treat them. And I just thought..."

"That no one could be better at treating obscure Dark Magic than a Death Eater who turned traitor?"

"One who's good with potions, yes. And if he needs a job, well..."

"You want me to talk to him?"

"Bring him over here instead. Tell him I want to show him how to make wolfsbane in person."

"Why?"

He grinned. "What better test could there be to measure someone's knowledge and potential than wolfsbane?"

I laughed. "When should I send him over?"

"Would tomorrow evening work for him?"

"Most likely."

"Eight o'clock, then."

* * *

_Let me address your concerns before they're raised: _

_1) **What the hell are you thinking?! Nobody becomes a doctor when they're 17!! **True. I don't know much about the inner workings of St. Mungo's, but I assume there would be a legnthy internship required for all Healers. Draco would go through the internship and learn the basics before treating anyone. Besides, I recently discovered that Harry became an Auror when he was 17 (more on that in later chapters), so if Harry can become a member of the Elite Dark Wizard Hunters at the age of 17, Draco can sure as heck become a medical intern at the same age. _

_2) **INTERNSHIP?! They're going to be fighting diseases, healing broken limbs, and basically keeping people alive and all they have to go through is an INTERNSHIP?! **Well, Rowling said herself that "there is no University for wizards." Otherwise, I would have Draco go through that, get his degree, and all that jazz. Plus, internships give you valuable hands-on insight into whatever job you're looking into. I know. I've spent the last two years as a sort of junior intern at my local paper. _

_3) **Couldn't someone ELSE help them with all the Dark Arts stuff? I mean, don't they have books and whatnot? **I'd assume that studying books on the Dark Arts is discouraged because, if the sheer number of Dark and Dark-ish wizards and witches is any indication, the Dark Arts are pretty enticing. Rymore wouldn't want another Voldemort or Voldemortina on staff. He wanted someone who was raised around the Dark Arts (aka Draco) because any Dark Magic he studied to treat patients wouldn't be so intoxicating for him. _

_BTW, PenguinsRFun is Ron. He liked that IB account name better than his old one. He and Harry were on the IB because not everyone in the DA could cast a Patronus, so not all of their old DA friends could get onto the Order blog. _


	20. Chapter 20

**The Greatest Blog in the History of the Universe! **

**The Invisible Man **

**_Falcon_**

It was one of the weirdest things that has ever happened to me. (Well, maybe not; I guess surviving an AK is weirder than this, and so is seeing Aunt Spazzy attempt chocolate chip cookies, but this was definitely strange.)

Instead of the recipe for wolfsbane, Shacklebolt got me an appointment with the director of St. Mungo's to learn how to make wolfsbane. So I showed up there at 8 PM, met the director (his name is John Rymore, and he seems nice) and got to it.

Shacklebolt wasn't kidding when he said wolfsbane is tricky. It's _very _tricky and _very _complicated, but I actually did okay. Between the two of us, we got a batch made, and when we were done, he looked like he wanted to hug me.

"Uh, thanks for, uh, showing me how to make it," I said.

He handed me a piece of parchment. "Here's the recipe. Walk with me."

"Um, okay."

We walked to the cafe on the fifth floor, and Rymore started telling me about St. Mungo's--more specifically, the trouble they've had lately in treating some of their patients. "Some of them are suffering from ailments that...well, we don't even know what they _are_, much less how to treat them. And nobody on staff knows much about the Dark Arts."

"Couldn't you...you know, study them a bit? Just enough so you know what's going on."

"Well, you've seen how many Dark wizards and witches there are. The Dark Arts are very enticing, and the last thing any of us want is another You-Know-Who, much less one who's treating patients," he said, laughing. I got the feeling he was leading me, but I didn't know where. So I just listened.

He took a sip of tea. "You know a lot about the Dark Arts, don't you."

"I was pretty much raised around them."

"So they're not so...enticing for you."

"Not really, no."

"How were your grades in Potions?"

"I was pretty close to being top in my year."

He paused, then looked me in the eye. "How would you like a job here at St. Mungo's?"

"A...a _job_?"

"It would start out as more of an internship, really. You'd learn the basics of healing and how the hospital works before you start treating patients, but yes, I'm offering you a job."

"Why?"

"Because we need a Healer who knows about the Dark Arts but doesn't practice them. Someone who can study Dark curses and potions without being drawn into them. I must confess that the wolfsbane was a bit of a test--"

"And I passed?"

"I wanted to see how good you were with potions. You're _very _good."

"Thanks."

"So...what do you say?"

I thought about it, weighing the pros and cons. The only con I could think of was that I didn't know much about healing, but knew that could change if I took this job. The biggest pro was that I'd be able to help Millicent more. I grinned. "When do I start?"

* * *

**Our Little Corner of the Internet **

**MiseryBusiness: **Wait...you went to St. Mungo's to get wolfsbane and came out with a JOB?

**YouCanCallMeE: **And wolfsbane.

**GooGooDolls4Ever: **How did THAT happen?

**YouCanCallMeE: **Well, apparently they've had some trouble treating patients who were attacked with Dark magic, and they needed a Healer who knew a lot about the Dark Arts but didn't actually practice them.

**GooGooDolls4Ever: **And you were the most likely candidate?

**YouCanCallMeE: **From the sounds of it, I was the ONLY candidate.

**PressingOn: **How did he know you'd be good at healing? Just a lucky guess?

**YouCanCallMeE: **He used the wolfsbane as a test. If I did well on it--which I did--he was going to ask me if I wanted a job there.

**MiseryBusiness: **Wow...

**YouCanCallMeE: **BTW, we got a batch made. I'll bring it over tomorrow night.

**MiseryBusiness: **Thanks!

**PressingOn: **When do you start?

**YouCanCallMeE: **Tomorrow morning. I have to go through the internship first, but I start tomorrow.

**GooGooDolls4Ever: **Good luck! You excited?

**YouCanCallMeE: **Stoked.

**PressingOn: **Good luck!

**MiseryBusiness: **Hope it goes well!

**YouCanCallMeE: **Thanks! Me too.

* * *

**Not One of Them Involving You **

**_Misery Business_**

I still can't believe it.

Draco goes into St. Mungo's to get a recipe and comes out with a JOB.

Not that I'm upset about it. Actually, this is probably the best news I've heard in a while.

* * *


	21. Chapter 21

**The Greatest Blog in the History of the Universe! **

**Let Love In**

**_Otter _**

I love staying at the Weasley's. Mostly because Ron is there.

He's really easy to talk to, which means that we talk about almost everything. Just today, he listened when I vented about Draco's new job.

"So he's going to be a Healer?"

"Yeah." I looked out at the garden.

"You're not happy about it?"

"I don't know. I mean, I'm happy _for _him, and I'm glad he's not, like, banned from the workforce forever or anything, but...I don't know. I guess I'm just jealous."

"Because he got a job first?"

"Yeah. Guess so." I shrugged. "I never wanted to be a Healer, anyway."

"I thought you did?"

I chuckled. "Maybe when I was five..." Silence. "So what are you going to do? I mean, now that the war's over?"

He sighed. "No idea. Maybe I'll try and become an Auror, but I don't know that they'd want me."

I slapped his shoulder playfully. "Oh, stop being like that."

"Like what?"

"Like, 'Nobody likes me, I'm just a loser, I'm going to go cry in a corner now and think about how nobody likes me...'"

"I'm not like that!"

"You are sometimes." He looked at me, and I laughed. "Like now."

He looked kind of hurt for a minute, then he laughed.

* * *

**Our Little Corner of the Internet**

**Confuzzled: **Hey Luna. What's up?

**Loopy: **nm. You?

**Confuzzled: **Same.

**Loopy: **It's weird being home...

**Confuzzled: **How so?

**Loopy: **I mean, after being locked in a cellar for four months, coming home is weird. I think it's just Dad, though.

**Confuzzled: **Your dad's been acting weird?

**Loopy: **Sort of. He's been acting like...I don't know...like if he lets me out of his sight for too long, I'll vanish or something.

**Confuzzled: **I guess that's what you would expect...Gran is just so happy I'm okay that I'll bet I could just ask for whatever I want and she'd say "Sure, Neville! Go give that cow five heads and send it out into the Muggle world! Have fun!"

**Loopy: **You should totally do that. 

**Confuzzled: **I think it would break the Statute of Secrecy, though...

**Loopy: **Neville, haven't you learned ANYTHING from working with Draco? Rules aren't rules, they're more like...very strong suggestions.

**Confuzzled: **lol! Yeah, I think he said that once when I asked him if hiding out in Myrtle's bathroom was against school rules.

**Loopy: **That was a weird hideout.

**Confuzzled: **You have no idea.

**Loopy: **What do you mean?

**Confuzzled: **I mean, being a guy and hiding out in a girl's bathroom...it was weird.

**Loopy: **Yeah...it worked, though.

**Confuzzled: **Yeah. It did, didn't it?

* * *

**KiltedStranger: **Millie! I found the most AMAZING thing today!

**MiseryBusiness: **What is it?

**KiltedStranger:** It's a video online where a talking cucumber sings about HOMOPHONES!! It's so cool!!

**MiseryBusiness: **ROFL!!

**KiltedStranger: **You have to watch it! I know what you're probably thinking, but it's SO COOL!

**MiseryBusiness:** No, I'm not thinking that...

**KiltedStranger: **Then what are you thinking?

**MiseryBusiness: **That you're a dork and I love you for it.

* * *

_Yep, you guessed it. Theodore Nott has discovered VeggieTales. _


	22. Chapter 22

_Sorry this chapter was up, then down, now up again. I took it down because I wanted to rework the dialogue a bit. ;) So enjoy. _

_BTW, I think I'm going to slow down a bit on this fic--partly because I'll be starting college soon and partly because I think this fic needs it. Hopefully, the chapters should be better from here on out because I'll be spending more time on them. ;)_

* * *

**Our Little Corner of the Internet **

**Journal of a Hogwarts Kid **

**_Pressing On _**

Draco came over yesterday. Happy days. And he brought wolfsbane. Happier days.

The doorbell rang while Millie and I were still clearing the table (I SO wish I could use magic outside of Hogwarts!), and Dad let him in. He walked right over to us and set two big flasks on the counter. Millie smiled.

"Wolfsbane?"

"Yep." She hugged him, and as soon as she pulled away he gave her the instructions. "Now, you might want to wait until after the next full moon, because you kind of have to be taking it regularly for it to do anything, and the full moon is what--day after tomorrow?"

"Yeah. Day after tomorrow."

"And what does wolfsbane do?" Dad asked. I guess none of us knew he'd been listening.

"It cures the dementia part of it," Draco said, tapping his head. "Basically gives a werewolf a human mind."

"Oh," Millie said. I wondered if anyone else saw she was disappointed. She opened one of the flasks, took a whiff, and made a face. "How often do I have to take it?"

"A mug every couple of days should work," he said. "I know you're probably going to hate this, but adding sugar or anything dilutes it."

"Naturally," she said sarcastically.

He showed her Muffliato, and then she left for the playroom. "It was really sweet of you to do that for her," Mum said once she was out of earshot. He shrugged.

"Anything to help, I guess." He and I went out into the backyard and walked around for a while. He told me about his new job, and it sounds really cool (basically, he's going to be a wizard doctor, only instead of doctors, they're called Healers) and he likes it. I told him about what I plan on doing (hanging out during the summer and going back to Hogwarts in the fall).

"So how's Millie doing?" he asked after a while. "I mean, how's she taking the whole...werewolf thing?"

I shrugged. "I guess she's doing okay. I mean, she doesn't really talk about it much, and she got upset when she told my parents how she got that way..." My voice sort of broke when I remembered that the werewolf who bit her was the same one who killed Colin. Draco just nodded.

"How's Theo taking it?" I said after a minute. "I mean, he didn't seem too upset about it last month."

"Honestly? I don't know. He hasn't said anything about it. Whenever someone brings it up, he changes the subject."

"Yeah. I mean, _nobody _seems to like thinking about it." Another pause. "Why'd she leave?"

"Leave her parents' house?" I nodded, and he drew a deep breath. "Well...you know how mean Greyback is, right?"

I did.

"He's pretty infamous. _Everyone _knows about him because _everyone _hates him. Now, I don't know a lot about werewolves, but I know that not all of them are like him. Some of them are, but some of them aren't."

"Like Lupin."

"Like Lupin," he repeated. "And I guess that...a lot of people think that _all _werewolves are like Greyback, even if they're not."

More silence while I thought that over. "So...Millie's parents...they think she's going to end up like that?"

"I think they're scared she might."

I nodded. That made sense in a twisted sort of way. We walked around in silence for a few more minutes before I changed the subject.

He stayed until it was dark out, and I watched him go. From behind me, Mum said "He seems really nice."

"He is."

"He's cute, too."

I couldn't help grinning. "He is, isn't he?"

* * *

**Not One of Them Involving You **

**_Misery Business_**

The full moon is tonight. Saying I'm not looking forward to it is like saying...ugh, I don't even know. I feel like crap and I don't have enough energy to come up with a creative metaphor.

Draco said the wolfsbane will help with the dementia part of it. I guess that means I won't want to eat my friends. Still, that's all it does.

I guess I should just get used to it. I mean, I'm going to be like this for the rest of my life...

Holy crap...I'm going to be like this for the _rest of my life_.

Ugh.

* * *


	23. Chapter 23

**The Greatest Blog in the History of the Universe! **

**The World's Smartest Idiot **

**_Terrier _**

Mione is going to be at Hogwarts next year...and I'm not.

Since McGonagall is the new Headmistress, she's in charge of deciding what students who skipped Hogwarts last year need to do to make it up. Today, we all got letters from her. Here's what mine said:

_Dear Ron, _

_You and I both know you skipped your seventh year at Hogwarts. Most of the time, this would be serious enough to mandate you retake the school year (after a talk with your parents and some sort of disciplinary action). However, since you were out of school for an excellent reason--one that has won you and your friends the gratitude of the entire wizarding world--you have several options: _

_Option 1: Return to Hogwarts to retake your seventh year.  
Option 2: Skip your seventh year entirely with no blemish on your permanent record. _

_As you can probably imagine, I strongly recommend the first option. However, it is your decision to make. _

_I hope to see you at Hogwarts this year, and if not, I hope to see you soon. _

_Sincerely, _

_Minerva McGonagall _

Harry's and Mione's notes said pretty much the same thing. When I was finished reading, I looked up at Mum.

"What do you think, Mum? Go back to Hogwarts or not?"

She was quiet for a long moment. "It's your decision, Ron. Of course, I'd prefer if you stayed home...but you're old enough to make your own decisions."

I was so surprised I couldn't speak for a minute. I'd expected her to tell me that I _had _to go back to school, that if I didn't, I could expect to be grounded the entire school year, that completing my education was the most important thing and it didn't matter if skipping my last year didn't count against me, blah blah blah.

"I...I'll think about it," I finally said. Harry, Mione and I went up to my room to discuss it. Moony, the wolf puppy Remus willed Harry, and Ruby, the puppy Remus willed Hermione, followed us.

"I'm going back," Mione said. "How about you?"

Harry and I looked at each other. "I don't know," Harry said. "Shacklebolt hinted that he might get me into the Auror office soon."

"I don't know, either," I said when she looked at me. "I think Mum would rather have me around. Y'know...after Percy."

For a minute, the only sound in the room was of Moony and Ruby growling as they played. "Well, _I'm_ going back," Mione said again.

I thought about it all day. Finally, after dinner, I told Mum that I wasn't going back to Hogwarts. She looked relieved, especially since Ginny has to go back to Hogwarts this fall. Mione, on the other hand, looked disappointed.

I'll miss her, but I'd rather not go back to Hogwarts.

* * *

**Let Love In **

**_Otter _**

I can't believe it. Ron isn't going back to Hogwarts with me.

We all got letters from McGonagall, telling us that we could choose to go back to Hogwarts to retake our seventh year or just stay home and not have it count against us. Of course, I chose to go back. Doing anything else just seemed stupid, and besides, what else is there to do, anyway?

All of Ron's reasons for staying home are valid. With Percy gone and his family so upset, he feels like he should stay home and be with them instead of going back to school. Since he has so much experience with the Dark Arts, he might be able to get into the Auror office without repeating his last year of school. Not only that, but he said he just doesn't want to go back.

I know I shouldn't be mad at him.

But I can't help it.

* * *

**The World's Smartest Idiot**

**_Terrier_**

Mione and I got in a fight...and I don't quite remember what it was about.

We were just talking about something--Moony and Ruby, I think--and she seemed upset. So I asked her what was wrong, but she just said "Nothing" in a way that said something _was _wrong.

"Are you sure? I mean..."

"Nothing."

She stormed off, leaving me on the back porch. I've been going over it for the past hour, and I _still _don't know what she was so upset about.

* * *

**Me Against the World **

**_Stag _**

I hate being in the middle.

Mione got mad at Ron and wouldn't tell him why. "She just stormed off," Ron said.

"What did you say?"

"That's just it! I didn't _say _anything!" He watched Moony play with a towel for a minute. "Would you go talk to her for me?"

"Me? Why do_ I_ have to talk to her?"

"Because she won't talk to _me _and I want to figure out why, but I can't if she's not talking to me!"

I sighed. "Fine."

At first, Hermione just brushed me off with "Nothing's wrong," but I kept asking. Finally, she told me the reason: Ron isn't going back to Hogwarts with her.

"You have a _reason _not to go back," she said.

"Well, so does Ron."

"I know, I know...it's just...I'll be there all alone without you guys."

I just looked at the ground for a minute. "We'll write you," I finally said. "And we've got the blog."

She sighed and nodded. "I don't know what's wrong with me. I mean, this shouldn't be such a big deal, should it?"

I said nothing.

* * *

**The World's Smartest Idiot**

**_Terrier _**

Well, Harry told me why Mione was so upset, and it took Ginny to help me make sense of it all.

Basically, she was upset because neither me nor Harry are going back to Hogwarts this fall, and she felt like we were abandoning her. Neither of us understood--I mean, we'll both miss seeing her, but we'll see her over breaks and we can talk on the blog. Thank God Ginny was eavesdropping.

"She's probably upset because she won't be able to find her parents right away."

"What do you mean?" I said, then I remembered. "You mean...she won't be able to go to Australia right away and find her parents and take off the Memory Charm?"

"What does that have to do with us?" Harry added. Ginny just gave us a _look_.

"Well, with you two at Hogwarts with her, she wouldn't feel like everyone she knows is abandoning her."

"But...we're _not _abandoning her! We're just not going to Hogwarts!"

Ginny sighed. "You just don't get it, do you?"

"No," I said. "We really don't."

She left muttering under her breath, and Harry and I discussed it for a few minutes, and after a while it sort of made sense. So I went and apologized to Hermione.

"It's okay, Ron," she said, smiling slightly. "I shouldn't have made such a big deal out of it."

"Well, I'm still sorry."

We hugged, then changed the subject. What Dad said later about the whole thing was probably the smartest thing I've ever heard: "When she's upset at you, apologize. Even if you don't know why you're sorry."

* * *


	24. Chapter 24

**Our Little Corner of the Internet**

**GooGooDolls4Ever: **Is ANYONE going back to Hogwarts with me this fall?

**PressingOn: **I am!

**MiseryBusiness: **My brother is...

**MeAgainstTheWorld: **I'm not because I just got a job as an Auror!

**PressingOn: **You did? That's awesome!

**PenguinsRFun: **He did! He just told me and Mione a few minutes ago.

**YouCanCallMeE: **Sweet!

**Fervenugen: **What Draco said.

**YouCanCallMeE: **lol. So how'd it happen? I mean, was it like with me, where he goes "Okay, we're going to give you this recipe and show you how to make it...by the way, want a job?"

**MeAgainstTheWorld: **lol. Not really. Shacklebolt knew that I'd wanted to be an Auror for a while now, so he said he'd see about getting me a job there. Well, it turns out that THEY had been wanting to talk to ME about it, so as soon as he brought it up, they said yes.

**Gorkyshlorky: **Because you're briging sexy back?

**PressingOn: **ROFL!!

**YouCanCallMeE: **GAAAHHHH!! Now I'm going to have that song stuck in my head ALL FREAKIN' DAY!!

**Fervenugen: **I'm bringin' sexy back...the other boys don't know how to act...

**YouCanCallMeE: **I'm warning you...

**PenguinsRFun: **Probably because he defeated Phil and the Aurors tend to go for that type. You know, the type that likes to defeat Phil.

**MeAgainstTheWorld: **Yeah, they tend to like that.

**HorseLuver14: **And the fact that you're the best at DADA out of anyone in your year probably helped too.

**MeAgainstTheWorld: **Most likely.

* * *

**The Greatest Blog in the History of the Universe! **

**Me Against the World **

**_Stag _**

I should probably change the name of my blog soon, since I'm not really against the world anymore...

But anyways, I'm an Auror now!

Yeah...Shacklebolt got me a job in the Auror office. I start tomorrow.

AHA! Take THAT, Umbitch!

* * *

**Minister By Default **

**_Lynx _**

I've seen some pretty interesting trials over the past few months. Some highlights include: Alecto Carrow forgetting what she had for breakfast that morning, Crabbe and Goyle managing a complete sentence, Mr. Nott and his friends attempting to use drunkeness as a rationale for murder, Pansy Parkinson essentially ruining Millicent Bullstrode's life before being taken away, and over a dozen people glaring at Draco Malfoy before being taken away.

But none of those were half as interesting as the trial of Dolores Umbridge.

Although she had broken several Ministry laws during her short stay at Hogwarts, the crimes she committed as Hogwarts High Inquisitor paled in comparison to the crimes she committed against Muggleborns. Because of this, only adult Muggleborns and Ministry employees were called as witnesses. That still didn't stop former DA members from attending her trial.

Everyone who was able came--Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, all the Weasleys, Hannah Abbot, Neville Longbottom, Luna Lovegood...the list goes on. Even those who didn't join the DA until this year came--whether for moral support for their comrades or out of a deep dislike for Umbridge, it was sometimes hard to tell. (Draco Malfoy is the only exception to this, because he told me later that he was the one who first began calling her "Umbitch.") But they all came, they all wore Muggle clothes, and they all booed when she walked in.

Mary Cattermole was called to the stand first. She looked away as she gave her testimony, as if determined not to look at Umbridge.

"The interrogations started fairly early last year," she began. (That line had to be repeated because her voice was so soft.) "I suppose they went alphabetically, because I was one of the first called in." She took a deep breath and told us about how she had to fill out a questionaire about her parents, her family, and her childhood.

"She kept asking me who I stole my wand from. I kept saying that it _chose _me, but she didn't believe it. It was...almost as if she was waiting for me to make up a name so she could hold murder against me, too."

We heard from another Muggleborn after that, one who was actually sent to Azkaban for his blood status. "I don't want to talk about it," he said. "It was that bad. And I wasn't the only one."

Several others were called up as well, Arthur Weasley among them. When he came to the stand, the DA cheered. Fred held up a sign that said "Go Dad!"

He told what he had known about the Muggleborn Registration Committee--and how that had simply been a fancy name for what he called The Group of Thugs that Sends Muggleborns to Azkaban. "Even before the war started, she did her best to try to exclude Muggleborns from participating in anything. She endorsed pro-pureblood laws and anti-Muggleborn employees, and when she was promoted...well, all hell broke loose."

He took out a pamphlet. "You've probably seen this--'Mudbloods and the Dangers they Pose to a Peaceful Pureblood Society.' I apologize for the language," he added quickly. "Dolores Umbridge wrote much of this pamphlet."

"I did not," Umbridge said haughtily.

"Oh, shut up," Harry said from the sidelines. "We all know you did." Before she could protest, he made a fist and held it up, revealing the scars that said _I must not tell lies. _"Take your own advice for once!"

When order was restored, the trial went on. When I handed her a life sentence in Azkaban...well, one would have thought that I had just given the DA ten million Galleons.

"Have fun in Azkaban!" Hannah Abbot called.

"Planning on making the dementors do detentions, too?" Harry said.

"Yeah, sit down and write 'I must not be like Umbitch and suck the happiness from everything?'" Draco added.

"I think that's too long."

"Whatever. Dementors' hands are pretty big, aren't they?"

"Can they even hold a quill?" Hannah asked. "I mean, aren't their hands kind of...rotten?"

As the dementors entered the courtroom, George yelled for me to make them stop. "I've got something to show her."

I couldn't imagine what it was, but agreed--partly out of curiosity, because chances were he would show me whatever he showed Umbridge. He ran forward and shoved a pamphlet in her face. Her eyes widened, her jaw dropped open, and all insults seemed to leave her. George grinned.

"Okay, they can take her away now." As they did, I asked him to show me what he'd shown her...and nearly fell out of my seat laughing.

It was the pamphlet Arthur had shown us all, only modified. George had drawn speech bubbles coming from both the rose and the thorn.

ROSE: Hey, stop touching my butt!  
THORN: Sorry, I thought it was your face!

"It's the first in a series," he said. "We can show you the rest later on, if you want."

It was, without a doubt, the most interesting trial I've ever seen.

* * *

_Rowling said that after the war, Umbridge was sent to Azkaban for "crimes against Muggleborns." Now, I don't know when she was caught, but since she's not the brightest bulb in the box, I'm guessing it would be pretty quickly. Also, why WOULDN'T the DA go to her trial? She was the whole reason they formed! You'd think they'd go to her trial and give her one last mooning (metaphorically speaking, since I'm pretty sure actually mooning a prisoner is illegal on some level)--a DA Moon Platoon, if you will. _

_Also, I'm pretty sure Mrs. Cattermole would testify--along with some of the other Muggleborns she tormented. _

_Since there's not much else to say here about the summer (and I've spent 24 chapters on this summer already), I'm going to go ahead and skip ahead to the school year. I'll probably skip around a good bit there, too, since this school year should be relatively boring compared to the past seven. _


	25. Chapter 25

**The Hogwarts Blog **

**Subject: At Long Last **

To all new students: Welcome to Hogwarts! To all those returning: Welcome back!

It goes without saying that this year will be a strange one for many students--not because of any unusual happenings or sinister plots brewing, but because of the lack thereof. (If any of you first-year students don't know about the recent defeat of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, rest assured that one of the older students in your House will tell you about it before the week is over.)

The Second War may be over, but there is always the chance of another war beginning. All we must do to begin another war is forget the lessons we have learned from this one. Remember the war. Remember those who gave their lives to end it. Remember the high cost of peace, and perhaps we will be spared from paying it again.

Have a wonderful year.

**Posted by: Minerva McGonagall **

* * *

**Our Little Corner of the Internet **

**When Faith and Fear Collide**

**_Faith and Fear _**

I know the school blog is safe again, but using this blog is easier.

For once, the Welcoming Feast was peaceful--no expanded security or constant threat of Death Eaters crashing the party; only dozens of first years entering the Hall, hearing the Sorting Hat's new song, and being placed in their Houses before joining the feast.

The Hat's song, too, was different. During times of peace, it tells the virtues of each House--and the apparent lack thereof in Slytherin. During times of war, it encourages students to look past House differences and unify. But this time, it sang about the friendships of the four founders, encouraging the students to restore those friendships, even though over eleven centuries have passed.

After the feast, I gave a short speech honoring those who had helped rebuild and those who had died in battle, then allowed the students to go to their Houses. Nothing was stranger than seeing Gryffindors and Slytherins talking as they left the Hall. While in previous years they almost went out of their way to ignore each other, now they seemed to go out of their way to socialize.

Then again, I suppose there are some things that are impossible to do without becoming friends, and defeating YKW is one of them.

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**GooGooDolls4Ever: **'Ello!

**PenguinsRFun: **Hey Mione! How is Hogwarts?

**GooGooDolls4Ever: **Weird. Lonely without you guys.

**MeAgainstTheWorld: **Glad you miss us.

**GooGooDolls4Ever: **Is Millicent on?

**MiseryBusiness: **Hi!

**GooGooDolls4Ever: **Millie, I just wanted to tell you that your brother is weird.

**BeWereTheSister: **Why, thank you, Hermione!

**MiseryBusiness: **Not funny, Matt.

**BeWereTheSister: **What, the username?

**MiseryBusiness: **DUH!!

**PenguinsRFun: **So...what's happened so far at Hogwarts, Mione?

**GooGooDolls4Ever: **Compared to the past seven years? Not much. No three-headed dogs, no basilisks, no dementors...

**MeAgainstTheWorld: **No YKW?

**GooGooDolls4Ever: **Nope. No YKW.

**BeWereTheSister: **No Carrows, either.

**GooGooDolls4Ever: **Yeah...it's weird.

**MeAgainstTheWorld: **Moody is the DADA teacher, right?

**BeWereTheSister: **Yeah.

**PenguinsRFun: **The fake Moody was a good teacher--is the real one better?

**GooGooDolls4Ever: **WAY better. Better than Snape by far.

**BeWereTheSister: **I liked Snape. He was cool before he turned psycho.

**GooGooDolls4Ever: **He didn't like me.

**MeAgainstTheWorld: **He was on our side all along, you know.

**BeWereTheSister: **He was?

**MiseryBusiness: **Really?

**MeAgainstTheWorld: **Yeah. I guess he was just really good at hiding it.

**BeWereTheSister: **Yeah. REALLY good.

* * *

**YouCanCallMeE: **So how's Hogwarts?

**PressingOn: **Weird.

**YouCanCallMeE: **How so?

**PressingOn: **I don't know...I guess it's mostly because all the Houses are getting along for once.

**YouCanCallMeE: **Sounds nice.

**PressingOn: **It is. That, and there's no constant threat from YKW...

**YouCanCallMeE: **And no Carrows.

**PressingOn: **That's probably the best part.

**YouCanCallMeE: **lol.

**PressingOn: **I miss Colin, though.

**YouCanCallMeE: **So do I.

**PressingOn: **He would've liked the new, weirder Hogwarts.

**YouCanCallMeE: **Yeah. He would've.

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	26. Chapter 26

_So...I decided to skip ahead to Christmas because there really isn't a whole lot going on during the school year besides "Oh, I love going to Hogwarts with no Carrows and no threat of YKW" from the students and teachers, "I love my job, it's so interesting, I think I was born to do this" from Harry and Draco, "Transformed again, it totally sucked" from Millicent, and "Woohoo, life is so much more fun without YKW" from everyone else. But around Christmas, there's dramatic tension and family fluff, which is much more interesting. So enjoy. _

**

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**

The Hogwarts Blog

**Subject: Merry Christmas! **

Well, we made it through an entire term and NOTHING HAPPENED. This is a very good thing. Better a boring term with everyone safe than an exciting term with everyone's lives in jeopardy.

For those of you going home over the holidays, have a wonderful Christmas!

For those of you staying at Hogwarts for Christmas, I will see you around school.

Again, Merry Christmas!

**Posted by: Minerva McGonagall **

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**Our Little Corner of the Internet **

**GooGooDolls4Ever: **Merry Christmas, everyone!

**BeWereTheSister: **What Mione said!

**PressingOn: **Myrtle says Merry Christmas!

**YouCanCallMeE: **You're talking to Myrtle? LOL!

**PressingOn: **Yep. She says she misses you.

**YouCanCallMeE: **Tell her I miss her too. And Merry Christmas.

**PressingOn: **lol.

**MiseryBusiness: **You going home for Christmas, Matt?

**BeWereTheSister: **Yep. BTW, I need to talk to you later.

**YouCanCallMeE: **You're coming home, right Teri?

**PressingOn: **Of course.

**PenguinsRFun: **Can't wait to see you, Mione!

**GooGooDolls4Ever: **lol. Me neither.

**PenguinsRFun: **lol.

**Confuzzled: **Oh, Luna?

**Loony: **Yeah?

**Confuzzled: **Gran wants to know if you and your dad would like to come over for Christmas dinner.

**Loony: **Hold on, let me ask...

**Loony: **He said that sounds delightful.

**Confuzzled: **Delightful? lol.

**PressingOn: **BTW, Mum invited you over for Christmas, Drake.

**YouCanCallMeE:** Sounds fun. Christmas Eve or Christmas Day?

**PressingOn: **Christmas Eve dinner.

**YouCanCallMeE**: I can come, then. The Weasleys already invited me over on Christmas day--me and Fred and George and Theo--so I'll be at your house for Christmas Eve, then.

**

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**

**MiseryBusiness: **You wanted to talk to me, Matt?

**BeWereTheSister: **Yeah.

**MiseryBusiness: **What about?

**BeWereTheSister: **Well...Mum and I have been sending letters back and forth...

**MiseryBusiness: **...and?

**BeWereTheSister: **I asked her what she wanted for Christmas, and she said she wanted to see you again.

**BeWereTheSister: **Mill? You still on?

**MiseryBusiness: **Yeah...I'm still on...

**BeWereTheSister: **So what do you say? Are you coming?

**MiseryBusiness: **I don't know...will Dad be there?

**BeWereTheSister: **He's our DAD. He's never missed Christmas dinner with us for as long as we've known him.

**MiseryBusiness: **I don't know...probably not.

**BeWereTheSister: **Come on, Mill. He's had what--five, six months to cool off?

**MiseryBusiness: **How do you know he's cooled off?

**BeWereTheSister: **I don't. But he hasn't seen you in six months. Chances are he's missed you. And you and I both know Mum misses you--why else would she ask for YOU for Christmas?

**BeWereTheSister: **Mill? You still there?

**MiseryBusiness: **Yeah...just...thinking.

**BeWereTheSister: **They're your PARENTS. One of them wants to see you again. What is there to think about?

**MiseryBusiness: **I guess I'll be there...

**BeWereTheSister: **Great! I'll tell Mum!

* * *

**Who Cares? **

**_BeWere the Sister _**

I can understand why Millicent doesn't want to go home for Christmas. If I were in her shoes and my parents treated me like that, I probably wouldn't want to go home, either.

But I think she _needs _to come home, even if it's just for Christmas. I can tell that Mum misses her a lot. She cries over the letters she writes about Millie--I can tell because the ink is smudged from her tears. Dad I'm not so sure about, but after not seeing her for six months, hopefully he's gotten over the whole werewolf thing. I also think that if Dad knows how it happened, it would help him get past what she is, and if she comes over for Christmas, she can tell him in person.

Here's hoping my plan works.

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	27. Chapter 27

_Daphne Greengrass: The Invisible Sister will make her first appearance this chapter. My theory is that she and Teri were never that close, which is why Daphne wasn't mentioned throughout the first _Hogwarts Blog. _(She wasn't that important of a character anyways; notice that according to Rowling Draco marries Asteria instead of Daphne.) I thought about making Teri an only child, but realized that she acts more like a younger child, so she sort of needed an older sibling. _

_And, yes, you'll notice that in this fic, she is not a Slytherin. You'll also notice that she is not the same age as Draco; she is a year older. For the millionth time, _this is fanfiction and I changed some of the details. _Deal with it. _

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Our Little Corner of the Internet

**Journal of a Hogwarts Kid**

**_Pressing On_**

I'm going to regret saying this later, I'm sure, but sometimes I wish I didn't have a sister.

It was going to be just me, Mum, Dad, Millicent and Draco for Christmas Eve dinner, but we got a huge surprise when Daphne showed up at the front door a few hours before dinner. Mum cried.

"Why didn't you tell us where you were going?"

"Things kept getting worse for us," she said when Mum stopped hugging her. "They were doing interrogations of all adult Muggleborns, and since I was overage, I thought it'd be smarter if I just...you know...fled the country."

Mum and Dad just stared. "You just graduated and fled the country without even saying goodbye?"

"I was afraid that if I said anything to you, they'd come after you. I didn't want them to know where I was going."

"Well, you could've at least told us you were coming back!"

She laughed. "No time. I just got back today. Thought I'd surprise you."

"I didn't know you had a sister," Millicent whispered as we followed her, Mum and Dad into the living room.

"We're not all that close. We weren't even in the same House." I didn't tell her that part of the reason I went into Ravenclaw was to avoid Daphne.

We talked for a long time. Millicent and I told her about Hogwarts and how YKW had been defeated, and she told us about Spain.

"Why didn't you go to France?" Mum asked. "It's closer."

"They'd expect France," she said. "Spain is farther, and it's the only country I could think of that wasn't some Death Eater's homeland."

I just nodded, wondering what she'd say when an ex-Death Eater showed up for dinner. Sure, he'd turned traitor, and Mum and Dad both approved of him, but Millicent and I had only given her the bare facts about how the Second War ended. We'd sort of skipped the part where Draco publicly defied YKW and almost died for it.

We didn't have to wait long to find out. Draco showed up a half-hour before dinner, and we hugged when he walked through the door. I turned and saw Daphne looking like Draco had shown up naked instead of in jeans and a Led Zeppelin T-shirt.

"Oh, hi," he said, walking over to her and offering a hand. "I'm Draco, Draco Malfoy...or...Drake..." He trailed off when she glared, turned on her heel, and marched off down the hall. "Um...okay..."

Mum apologized, then followed Daphne. I followed Mum and stood just outside the door, listening.

"Daphne, I know you just got back from Spain, but that doesn't mean you get to be rude," she was saying.

"He shouldn't be here," she said. "He should be in Azkaban with the rest of them!"

"I don't _care _where you think he should be. He's our guest--"

"Why?"

I couldn't resist jumping in. "Um, because he spent most of last year helping us and almost _died _for it? Because he's _nice_?"

"Thank you for interrupting, Teri," she said sarcastically.

"We wouldn't have invited him if we were suspicious of his motives," Mum said. "Now go back out there and apologize to him."

She apologized and introduced herself, but _everyone _could tell she did it because Mum told her to. I didn't understand how Draco could just ignore it--I _still _haven't figured it out. But all throughout dinner, he acted like nothing had happened. He was even _friendly _toward her, even though it seemed like she made it a point to be unfriendly. For example:

"So. What House were you in, Daphne?"

"Gryffindor." (Said with an icy glare that I SWEAR freezes his sparkling cider.)

"Ah. How old are you?"

"Nineteen." (Gravy on mashed potatoes turns to ice.)

"Ah...that's why I didn't see you around school...you're a year ahead of me."

"I know." (Corn kernels become little ice cubes.)

The meaner Daphne was toward Draco, the snippier Millicent got toward Daphne (example: when Daphne asked her to pass the gravy, I thought for a minute that she was going to throw the gravy all over her and run away.) Sitting between Draco and Millicent, I could tell they were both trying really hard to control their tempers--like I was trying to control mine.

After dinner, we all exchanged presents. (We have a tradition where we can open one present on Christmas Eve and the rest on Christmas.) Mum and Dad had bought a few things for Daphne in case she came back, and Draco brought me and Millicent presents. Daphne glared at the blue and green butterfly choker he gave me, so I put it on just to show her I didn't care what she thought, even though it was after 8 PM. Draco hugged me tight when he opened my gift to him: Slash's autobiography. Everyone seemed happy--except for Daphne.

He left about an hour later. Once he was gone, Mum and Dad both turned to Daphne.

"Why were you so rude?"

"Well, he wasn't all that nice to begin with."

"That's a lie--" Millie began, but Mum cut her off.

"He tried to make conversation with you. He asked you questions about almost everything, and you ignored him."

She was trapped. Her mouth moved, but no sound came out. After a minute, she started for her old room.

"Just a minute, young lady," Dad said, catching her shoulder and spinning her around. "We're going to discuss this."

"What is there to discuss?" she said with a sneer. "His people are the reason I fled the country, and now you invite him over for Christmas?"

"Funny," Millicent said sarcastically, "_Your_ people are the reason he stayed." Daphne just looked at her. "After he turned traitor, he probably should've run away. But he stayed because he wanted to _end _the war."

"Hey, running away was all I could do!"

"No it wasn't! _Lots _of Muggleborns stayed!"

"Are you calling me a coward?"

"Everybody, STOP!" Both turned and looked at Dad. He took a deep breath. "Much I would _love_ to hear the end of this, it's almost ten on Christmas Eve. Now, are you going to apologize to each other, or are we going to spend Christmas fighting with each other?"

I could they both would've preferred the second option, but they apologized anyway, then went to bed.

**

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Who Cares?

**_BeWere the Sister _**

Millicent came home for Christmas today.

It was all part of my plan: tell Millie that Mum wanted to see her (I only guessed that she did) and that Dad seemed close to taking her back (I hoped he was), all so she'd come home for Christmas.

The plan worked. She walked through the door just as we were cleaning up from breakfast. When Mum heard her yell "Hey everyone...I'm home!" she was so surprised she dropped the stack of plates she was carrying and ran to the door. Dad heard the crash and ran after her, and I ran after both of them. When Dad and I reached the entryway, Mum was crying and hugging her.

"I didn't think you were coming back!" she said.

"Matt said you wanted to see me, so I came...hope you don't mind."

Mum pulled back, hands on her shoulders, and looked her in the eye. "Mind? Why would I mind?" She hugged Millie again. "I missed you so much!"

I looked at Dad, trying to guess what he was thinking, but he just looked surprised. I looked back at Mum and Millie, saw them talking so fast only they could understand each other, and knew my plan had worked on Mum.

"Are you hungry? Did you eat yet?" Mum finally said. Millie shook her head.

"No, no, I had breakfast at the Greengrasses. I'm fine."

"Greengrasses?" Mum looked at her. "I don't think I know them."

"You probably don't," she said, laughing. "Teri's Muggleborn."

"You're living with Muggles?" Everyone looked at Dad. It was only the second thing he'd said all morning; the first thing had been "Pass the butter."

"It's not so bad," Millie said, laughing again. I could tell nobody believed her, so I suggested we all go into the living room or something. So we did.

Mum and Millie did most of the talking--mostly about what living with Muggles was like. Dad just sat leaning against the back of the sofa, looking away most of the time. They talked for a while, then Mum remembered something, ran off to her and Dad's room, and came back with several boxes.

"Here, these are for you."

"You didn't have to get me anything," she said, but accepted them all the same. They turned out to be a red sweater, a new pair of dragonhide boots, two pairs of earrings, a cloak, a gift certificate to Flourish and Blotts, and a box of chocolates. "I thought we should make up for your birthday, too, since we didn't see you then."

They hugged. "Thanks, Mum." She hugged Dad, too. He drew back at first, then resisted, then finally hugged her sort of stiffly. She sat back down.

"Well, go ahead!" Mum said. "Try them on!"

"What should I try on first?"

"How about the boots?"

"Boots it is." She grinned, pulled her right pant leg up--and that's when we saw the scars. We all leaned forward. She covered it quickly, but Dad knelt down next to her and inspected the scars more closely.

"Is that where he bit you?"

Biting her lip, she nodded. "One of the places."

"Where else?"

She stood and pulled down the right sleeve of her shirt so he could see the bite mark on her shoulder and slash marks on her back, then pulled her shirt up slightly so he could see the slash marks on her torso. She didn't look at him.

"Mill..."

She looked at him. They both started crying, and they hugged right there in the middle of the living room.

* * *

_A few things..._

_1. You might say that running away to Spain was very un-Gryffindor, since most of the Gryffindors stayed for the final battle. Might I point out that some of them left, and might I also call your attention to two case studies in Gryffindor cowardice: Peter Pettigrew and Cormac McLaggen. Peter joined YKW and Cormac put Harry in the hospital and was too wimpy to apologize. Gryffindor has its share of arrogant cowards. _

_2. Millicent's dad took her back when he saw how bad she'd been attacked. When he saw how close he had come to losing her, he decided that a werewolf daughter was better than a dead one. _

_3. Slash was the lead guitarist for Guns N Roses. _


	28. Chapter 28

**Our Little Corner of the Internet **

**I'm Loopy **

**_Loony_**

Dad and I went over to Neville's for Christmas today.

It was just me and Neville, as far as kids go, so it was quiet. Nice, too, because it was just me and Neville; it was almost guaranteed that the adults would talk to each other the entire time and ignore us. So he and I went into the den while the adults stayed in the living room.

"How's Hogwarts?" he asked after a moment or two of silence.

"Good. Very pleasant, with the Carrows gone."

He laughed. "Yeah. Wish I could see it...you know...enjoy the peace."

I nodded. "Everyone still sings 'Carrow-Like Idiot,' though."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Even most of the Slytherins know it now, and all of the older students have been teaching it to the first years, and the ghosts still sing it..." We both laughed, then Neville sang the first line.

_Don't wanna be a Carrow-like idiot... _

I sang the next line: _Two people controlled by the Dark Lord _and that's how it went for the first verse. By the chorus, we were singing in unison.

_Do I look like some incompetent fatso?  
They're pretty stupid, to be sure_

_They both eat as much as they're able  
So big they can't fit at the table  
But when have they ever cared at a-all?  
Think they're too good for a diet  
When they eat, they're not very quiet  
You can't keep anything down at all! _

_Don't wanna be a Carrow-like idiot  
Two people controlled by the Dark Lord  
Alecto's the biggest girl I've ever known  
And no, she's not only big-boned _

_She runs all around Hogwarts  
Wearing little tiny tight shorts  
First years lose their appeti-ites  
Her face is like a bad dream  
Seeing it makes you wanna scre-am  
Quick now, turn out the light! _

_Don't wanna be a Carrow-like idiot  
Two people controlled by the Dark Lord  
Amycus is the meanest wizard in Britain  
Tell you the truth, I think he killed my kitten _

_He goes around torturing students  
Nobody knows how he can do it  
Oh right just look at his fa-ace!  
He's got really really bad hair  
Blows around in the ai-ir  
Greasy stuff gets in your face! _

When we finished, we saw all of Neville's relatives and my dad watching us. We both grinned sort of sheepishly--and then they applauded, so we grabbed hands and bowed.

"Is _that_ what you did all last year?" his grandmother said, laughing.

"No, we did a ton of others," he said. "That was just one of the best."

"We also got Peeves to stick mistletoe to the back of Amycus' butt with a note that said 'Pucker up and kiss it, Hogwarts!'" he added, and everyone laughed.

Neville and I spent most of dinner telling everyone about all the pranks the DA had pulled throughout the year. Even though Neville did most of the talking because I hadn't been there for some of the pranks, it was almost as if I _had _been there, he told the stories so vividly.

Too soon, it was time to go. Just before Dad and I left, Neville and I stood in the entryway, talking.

"Wish I could stay a little longer," I said.

"Maybe we should tell them more DA stories."

"Like about being locked in a cellar? Happy days."

He laughed. We were standing very close, and for some reason I couldn't quite grasp, it made me nervous.

"Glad you made it out, at least."

"Me too." We faced each other for a minute, then, slowly, he leaned forward and pressed his lips against mine. I kissed him back, and we pulled away just before Dad walked in.

"Merry Christmas," he said after a minute.

"Merry Christmas." I started smiling once Dad and I were out the door, and by then I couldn't stop.

* * *

**The Greatest Blog in the History of the Universe! **

**Let Love In **

**_Otter _**

Going back to Hogwarts was the right thing to do, but I still missed Ron and Harry. Yes, we talked on the blog, but it's not the same as seeing each other face-to-face. So, of course, we spent every spare minute together, and since the house was crowded today, that meant walking around in the backyard when we wanted a moment alone.

"Lots of people here today," Ron said.

"Yeah."

"I guess Mum just couldn't stop herself." He chuckled. "At least she didn't go up to some bum off the street and invite _him _over."

I laughed. "You know, I can actually see her doing that."

"I know. That's what makes Christmas so scary. You never know who's going to show up."

"At least she's a good cook, so no surprises there."

"Yeah...cooking surprises are scary."

"Yeah. Draco told me that his aunt once attempted chocolate chip cookies."

Ron shuddered. "I would never be the same again."

We talked for a while before we got bored with just sitting there in the cold. So we started to build a snowman, but Ron threw a snowball at me, and from there...well, it didn't take long for an all-out war to start (I guess there's something about snowball fights that attracts people into the fray, because soon everyone under twenty-five was throwing snowballs at each other.)

When we finally went inside and started to dry off, Mrs. Weasley laughed and shook her head.

"You were right, George."

"Right about what?" Ron asked.

Fred and George grinned. "Nothing."

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Pulling Pranks is What I Like to Do

**_Monkey_**

Ever since Hermione came back from Hogwarts, Ron has spent every spare minute with her. Not that we mind too terribly much--she's a nice girl--but we couldn't resist jumping in.

Harry and Ginny were talking, and me and George were hanging out with Draco when we looked out the window and saw Ron and Hermione building a snowman. Mum saw, too.

"Aww...how sweet!"

Andromda saw, too. "They're cute together."

"Aren't they?"

"Bet you anything they don't make it to the head," George said.

"What?"

"I'll bet you anything they'll get bored and do something else before they make it to the head."

"I'll bet they'll start fighting," I said.

Sure enough, Hermione was still rolling the midsection when Ron grinned and threw a snowball at her back. "Told you!"

We watched them for a minute. Finally, George said "You know, it's awfully hard to have a really good snowball fight with just two..."

We all looked at each other and grinned, grabbed our cloaks and gloves and boots, and ran outside into the fray.

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	29. Chapter 29

_My hat is off to everyone who writes fluff. I never knew coming up with cute presents for all the characters to give each other would be so HARD! So rock on, fluff writers. I don't know how you do it. _

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Our Little Corner of the Internet

**Gryffindor and Proud **

**_Horse Luver 14 _**

Christmas was great.

Hermione and Ron have been spending every spare minute together, and Harry and I have been doing the same thing. But since they had already taken the backyard, we had to hang out inside with everyone else. (It wasn't that bad, really; it's nice and warm inside.)

After the snowball fight, we came inside, dried off, and had dinner. After dinner, we exchanged gifts.

Not long after the battle, Fred and George told me about how they had gone up to Draco's dad and used him as a punching bag. When I asked why, they said "He's like our brother. You don't let anyone mess with your brother." Today, after seeing what he got them for Christmas, I know why they consider him family.

As soon as they tore the paper off their gifts, they both grinned. Mum knew that look and what it meant.

"Okay, what did he get you?"

They each held up a book: Fred held up _Survival Skills You Never Thought You'd Need or How to Turn Toilet Paper into a Deadly Weapon _and George held up _101 Seemingly Harmless Substances and How to Make them Explode. _Mum sighed.

"Draco Malfoy, what is wrong with you?" He just laughed.

Fred laughed manically. "With these books..."

"...we shall rule the world!" George finished. "And speaking of books..."

"Drake hasn't opened our present yet!" It turned out to be _The Book of Useless Potions _and some pranks from their shop. "In case St. Mungo's ever gets too stuffy and boring," they said.

Harry handed me a box, sort of shyly. Inside was a Holyfield harpies T-shirt. I hugged him and thanked him over and over, sort of embarrassed to give him my gift. It was a drawing of us together--nothing fancy, since I didn't have a ton of money this year. (Not that I ever do, but that's beside the point.)

"There's another part to it," I said when he looked up, then leaned forward and kissed him.

"Sorry about the regifting," I said when we pulled away.

"I didn't mind."

We probably could've kept going for a while, but Mum and Dad were watching, so we left it at that.

* * *

**The Greatest Blog in the History of the Universe! **

**The World's Smartest Idiot **

**_Terrier _**

Now that I've gotten a job in the Auror office, I've had more money to spend on stuff--important stuff, like pranks, candy, and Christmas presents. Which was good, because if I'd had to give Hermione an IOU for Christmas, I probably would've...I don't know...hidden in a corner and cried or something. But I had money, so it was all good.

Picking out a present was the hardest part. I thought about mocking her practical streak and getting her socks or something, but then I got this horrible picture of her crying and running down the hall. I decided against a book on symptoms of deadly diseases for the same reason. Mum suggested a book (but one that's not about deadly diseases), so I finally decided on one about two kids who decide to pull a prank on Muggles and make them think their house is haunted, but the Muggles find out what's going on and get them back. It looked funny and kind of thoughtful--in other words, the kind of thing she'd like.

Lucky for me, she did. She loved it. Her gift to me was a gift certificate to the twins' store. "Because they wouldn't let you just walk out with all that stuff the first time," she said. "I found a way to cheat."

"Never thought you'd would be the one cheating," I said, grinning. "You're usually against that kind of thing."

"It's not cheating when you're not in school."

"Nice loophole."

We shared a smile.

* * *

**The Invisible Man **

**_Falcon_**

Christmas at the Weasley's is fun.

First, we had a huge snowball fight. It started out just Ron and Mione, but then the twins pointed out that you can't have a really good snowball fight with only two people, so the rest of us joined in. Fun times.

After that, we had dinner. All I can say about that is: Mrs. Weasley is a really good cook, and having everyone talk at once--and be nice to each other--is a pleasant change of pace. (If you've never been to Christmas dinner with my family, consider yourself lucky.) Christmas dinner where nobody fights is weird, but I like the Weasley tradition of laughing and joking around better than the Malfoy tradition of insults and fighting. (We've always been really bad at coming up with traditions...)

The only thing I would've changed is the fact that Teri wasn't there. I know it's Christmas and you're kind of supposed to spend Christmas with your family, but it still would've been nice to see her.

* * *


	30. Chapter 30

**Our Little Corner of the Internet **

**YouCanCallMeE: **You're moving back in with your parents?

**MiseryBusiness: **:D Yep.

**KiltedStranger: **So your dad apologized?

**MiseryBusiness: **In his own little way, yeah.

**GooGooDolls4Ever: **That's great! When are you moving back in?

**MiseryBusiness: **I don't know. Probably sometime after the full moon.

**KiltedStranger: **Isn't that coming up pretty soon?

**MiseryBusiness: **Just a few days.

**BeWereTheSister: **I think you should come back BEFORE that...

**MiseryBusiness: **It seems kind of mean to just come back and put them through that right away, though.

**GooGooDolls4Ever: **Don't you just hide in your room and lock the door until it's over? I mean, doesn't the wolfsbane help?

**MiseryBusiness: **It helps, but I'm still sick for two days.

**PressingOn: **You should stay until the full moon is over. I'm sure Daphne would LOVE to meet a werewolf.

**MiseryBusiness: **lol. Maybe I'll "accidentally" leave the door unlocked.

**PressingOn: **I could "accidentally" open it.

**MiseryBusiness: **Or we could just scare her...REALLY bad.

**PressingOn: **Like by "forgetting" to put up Muffliato?

**YouCanCallMeE: **She'd probably blame it on me somehow.

**PressingOn: **Yeah...she's good at that sort of thing.

**YouCanCallMeE: **"Draco, you musn't blame yourself...even though it IS all your fault..."

**PressingOn: **ROFL!

**GooGooDolls4Ever: **Aren't you miles away from their house, though? And doesn't using that sort of magic from that great a distance away sort of defy the laws of physics?

**YouCanCallMeE: **I don't see how you could possibly think a little thing like that would matter.

**GooGooDolls4Ever: **Yeah...you told me what she did on Christmas Eve.

**MiseryBusiness: **I wish she'd stayed in Spain.

**PressingOn: **I know this is going to sound awful, but so do I.

* * *

**Not One of Them Involving You **

**_Misery Business_**

So.

Mum and Dad said I could move back in with them, if I wanted to. And I want to. (Living with Muggles isn't so bad, but I kind of miss having magic everywhere.) The only problem is that the full moon is coming up in a few days, and moving back in just before that seems kind of mean.

Then again, staying here means Daphne will get to see me at my worst, and her stupid gloating face isn't something I want to see. The rest of her family is already used to me, though, which is a major pro...

I'll probably stay here. It'll just be easier on everyone.

* * *

**BeWereTheSister: **Mum and Dad want to know when you're coming back.

**MiseryBusiness: **Tell them I'll move back in next week.

**BeWereTheSister: **After the full moon, you mean?

**MiseryBusiness:** Yeah. Just tell them next week, okay?

**BeWereTheSister:** Mill, you know they have to see you around the full moon sometime.

**MiseryBusiness: **I'd rather they saw me normal first.

**BeWereTheSister: **Mill, please?

**MiseryBusiness: **Look, Matt, this way, they'll have a whole month to get used to the idea, and I'll have a whole month to tell them what happens during the full moon, instead of just springing it on them.

**BeWereTheSister:** Fine. I'll tell them next week.

* * *

**Who Cares? **

**_BeWere the Sister _**

Millicent is moving back in next week.

Yes, she and Dad made up, and he and Mum both invited her to move back in. I'm glad my plan worked.

I just wish she was moving back sooner, instead of waiting until after the full moon. I miss her.

* * *

**Journal of a Hogwarts Kid **

**_Pressing On_**

Millicent is staying with us through the full moon...and Mum and I have a plan to help Daphne see the truth.

She and I were talking about Millie's staying with us, when she'll leave, how we'll miss her, all that jazz. "Wonder what Daphne'll think when she sees her like that," I said. (Millicent never looks well after the full moon--she's always tired and sickly-looking.)

"I don't know," Mum said.

"She'll probably just use it as another excuse to hate Slytherins." Daphne hasn't been all that nice to Millicent, either. I guess nobody told her that Gryffindors and Slytherins don't hate each other anymore.

"Maybe not," Mum said.

"What do you mean?"

She put down the dishtowel and faced me. "From what I've gathered, Gryffindor is all about courage, right?"

"Yeah..."

"And you and I both know that Daphne is rather nosy."

"Yeah..." The pieces started flying together. "Oh! I get it!"

Mum grinned. "See?"

* * *

_I figured that since Millicent is taking wolfsbane, which gives a werewolf a human mind, she wouldn't really need to lock herself in the shed anymore. Still, she'd probably stay in the playroom because letting a werewolf wander around the house isn't a good idea, wolfsbane or no. _

_Now, I know that most of you won't do this, but I have met readers who'll read a cliffhanger and then go "I don't get it. What's their plan? Why didn't you tell us? Why did they do that? I'm confused! Please destroy the suspense and tell me!" It's a SURPRISE. Okay? _


	31. Chapter 31

**Our Little Corner of the Internet**

**Journal of a Hogwarts Kid**

**_Pressing On_**

I think our plan is working.

Mum and I started putting it into effect around 11 this morning, when Millie first woke up. (She always gets up late around the full moon.) Well, actually we technically put it into effect when Daphne woke up and asked why Millie wasn't awake yet.

"She probably needs her rest," was all Mum said. I knew Daphne was probably judging her secretly; she tends to look down on anyone who likes to sleep in until noon. That, and Millie is usually up by 9.

Around 11, Millie finally came out of the playroom and lay down on the sofa, eyes closed, arm draped across them like she was sheilding herself from the sun.

"Morning, Millie," Mum said cheerfully, like everything was perfectly normal.

"Morning," she moaned. Daphne just stared at her, then turned back to Mum.

"What's wrong with _her_?" she whispered. Mum calmly went to the cupboard and started making Millie some tea, and I got up and turned on the TV, keeping the volume turned down low so it wouldn't bother her. When the tea was done, Mum had Daphne take it to her.

And that's how it went for the rest of the day. Dad was in on the plan too, so we all just acted like everything was perfectly normal and had Daphne bring her whatever she needed--hot cocoa, blankets, soup, whatever. Every time she came out of the playroom, she said something about "She sure is _snippy_ today," so we all knew that Daphne had been asking a bunch of nosy questions.

Right now, the sun is getting ready to set. Millie should start transforming soon, and I just told Mum that I think she forgot to put up Muffliato.

She smiled and told me where I'd find some earplugs.

* * *

**Not One of Them Involving You **

**_Misery Business_**

So...

Night before last was the full moon...and Daphne knows much more than she did two days ago, thanks to me.

Day before yesterday--the day of the full moon--I was sick, as usual. Like always, Teri's family acted like it was completely normal. Unfortunately, I got to see a side of Daphne I've never seen before:

She's _nosy_.

Not just nosy, but **_NOSY._** Seriously, she makes Rita Skeeter look laid-back, that girl asks so many questions. And whenever I needed something, they sent Daphne, which meant that I got the grand inquisition along with whatever she brought me.

I didn't get up until 11, so I didn't really eat anything for lunch. But after lunch, Teri's mum sent her to the playroom with some tea. I took it, thanked her, and sat back. She kept standing there.

"You need something?" I asked after a minute or two.

"I just wanted to know if you're okay."

"Yeah. Never been better."

"Is...is your throat okay? I mean, your voice sounds kind of hoarse..."

"Thank you for pointing that out, Captain Obvious."

"Hey, no need to get snippy with me! Just asking, that's all." She left, and I finished my tea and then went back to sleep. I guess someone must've peeked in and seen me shivering, because when I woke up a few hours later she was back again, this time with two extra blankets. Once again I thanked her, and once again she stood there, waiting.

"Is it the flu?" she asked at last.

"No. It's not the flu."

"Is it contagious?"

"No." Not unless I bite you, I thought. I hate to say this because I know it'll sound terrible, but she was starting to look rather tasty. As soon as I thought it, I felt like throwing up.

"Are you sure you're okay? You look like you're going to puke."

"I'm fine. Go away."

"Yeesh, no need to be so rude!" She left again, coming back around dinner with a bowl of soup. I took a few bites, then asked her if she had any more questions.

"You ever think that maybe I'm _concerned_ about you? That maybe I'm asking because I _care_?"

"You've never cared before," I said, "so why would you start now?"

She stormed out of the playroom.

She came in again just before sunset. This time, she didn't bother coming up with an excuse for being there; she just poked her head in. Right then, the usual cramping had started, so I was curled up under the covers, moaning.

"Are you okay? What's wrong?"

"Go...away!" I said through clenched teeth. "Leave...me...alone!"

She slammed the door on her way out. By then I was feeling pretty crappy, so I decided to answer all of her nosy questions by giving her a little scare.

Yep. I "forgot" to put up Muffliato.

I still locked the door, because I knew that even though there was no chance of me escaping, Daphne might still get curious and try to come in. A locked door might not stop her, but it would at least slow her down. Despite the wolfsbane, I didn't quite trust myself not to attack her.

Once that was done, I curled up on the mattress again and waited.

* * *

**Journal of a Hogwarts Kid **

**_Pressing On _**

I was right about Millie not putting up Muffliato. Still, I waited to put my earplugs in because I knew Daphne would probably do something stupid, like try to break into the playroom.

I had never actually _heard _Millie transform because she always puts up Muffliato, and I think it's my new favorite spell. I lay in bed, waiting. I sat up when I heard her scream.

It started out like any other scream, but it only sounded human for a few seconds. It turned into an inhuman wail, then a howl. I felt like crying when I pictured the pain that must be causing that scream. But I didn't, because I heard Daphne's door slam against the wall as it opened. I jumped out of bed and ran down the hall just in time to see Daphne try the playroom door and start back towards her room for her wand. I stood in her way.

"Don't go in there," I said.

"But there's something in there!" For the first time I could remember, she looked scared. "If it gets out--"

"Daph, don't go in there."

It was like she hadn't heard me. "I'm the only one who can use magic, and it's already gotten Millicent--"

I grabbed her shoulder. "Daphne, that thing _is _Millicent." She looked at me as if I'd told her I was running away to join a nudist colony. "She's a werewolf," I explained as calmly as I could, "and she's been taking wolfsbane, so the most she'll do is scratch at the door, run in circles, and howl at the moon until morning comes."

"But...that sound--that _scream_--"

"She's said transforming hurts. That's what the scream was." I felt like crying again, and I wished she'd put up Muffliato. "Just go back to bed. It'll be over tomorrow."

She went back to her room, but I don't think she got any more sleep than I did.

* * *

**Not One of Them Involving You **

**_Misery Business _**

The first thing Daphne did when morning came was apologize.

"What are you sorry for?" I asked. Transforming takes a lot out of you, and I was too tired to try and figure it out.

"Everything," she sighed. "Mostly for being such a jerk to you."

"So you figured it out?"

"Yeah. I had no idea..."

"Most people don't, unless they know already."

There was a long pause. "How long have you been this way?" she finally asked.

"About eight months. Since the Battle of Hogwarts."

"The one where You-Know-Who was killed?"

"Yep."

She looked into her tea, then up at me. "How did it happen?" Another pause. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't be asking..."

I took a deep breath. "You knew Colin Creevey, right?"

"Teri said he was murdered."

"Did she tell you how?"

"Just that it happened during the battle."

I told her about how he was killed and showed her my scars. She was quiet for a long time.

"You could've been killed," she finally whispered.

"I know. I didn't really think about that, back when it happened."

She paused again. When she looked at me, she was crying. "I had no idea..."

"You never asked."

She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "I'm so sorry," she said before leaving.

* * *

**Journal of a Hogwarts Kid **

**_Pressing On _**

When Daphne came out of the playroom, she was crying. We all knew what that meant.

"So," Dad said gently, "She told you?"

Daphne nodded.

"Now do you believe me about Slytherin?"

She nodded again, and nobody said anything more.

* * *

_Transforming hurts more for Millicent than it did for Lupin because...well, Millicent has only been a werewolf for a few months. She's only transformed eight times, so she's still getting used to it. _


	32. Chapter 32

_Heads-up: This chapter spans several months during which very little happens in the way of plot. _

**

* * *

**

Our Little Corner of the Internet

**Who Cares? **

**_BeWere the Sister _**

Millie moved back in today.

Mum and Dad wanted to thank the Greengrasses for taking her in while they were busy being morons (even though they got offended when I put it that way), so we all went over to their house to pick her up.

I had never met Teri's parents before, but they seemed really nice. When they invited us in, Mum and Dad kept looking around at all the neat Muggle stuff. I have to admit, it was all pretty cool--how they can make a ball of glass light up and even keep food cold without magic, for example. Mr. Greengrass laughed at us, then shook hands with Mum and Dad.

"Thanks for taking care of our daughter," Dad said.

"Of course," Mrs. Greengrass said. "We loved having her."

"She's a good kid," Dad said quietly. He looked at the floor as if unsure what to say next, but Millie came in just then, hugged both him and Mum, then pulled away.

"I've got my stuff all packed," she said, pointing to her trunk.

"You're ready, then?"

"Whenever you are." She hugged the Greengrasses one more time, told Teri she could come over whenever, and waved to Daphne. For a minute, Daphne looked upset--on the verge of tears upset--but then it passed and she smiled and waved. With that, we Apparated back home.

Mum had cleaned Millie's room for her, and there was a vase of flowers on the dresser. She had also made a cake--Millie's favorite: chocolate with peppermint filling--so we kind of celebrated her coming home, stayed up late talking, then went to bed.

I'm glad she's home.

**

* * *

**

Real Men Wear Kilts

**_Kilted Stranger _**

After eight months of searching, I have finally found a job.

Actually, eight months isn't exactly accurate. I spent three wondering what I wanted to do with my life, two deciding, one worrying that I'd never find one in that field and trying to think of another field to go into, and another two months landing a job and deciding that I loved it.

I don't know what it was that made me decide on journalism as a career path. When Umbitch made us do those inane "career counseling" sessions, I thought a career as a magical historian might be fun. Then I got this horrible vision of Professor Binns droning in my ear about goblin uprisings, and decided to kill that dream before it killed me.

I don't know; maybe it was that insult to journalism known as _The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore_--one of Skeeter's chief sources of information is speculation--that made me think "Hey, I can do better than that!" (On another note, Rita Skeeter--along with a sizable percentage of the _Daily Prophet _staff--got fired after the war. So they needed more people to take their places.)

Whatever it was, it got me a job at the _Daily Prophet _as a news reporter. "Journalists have the highest level of job satisfaction out of most anyone in the workforce," the news editor, Erin Daniels, told me when I started.

Now I know why.

* * *

**MeAgainstTheWorld: **'Ello, Ginny. What's up?

**HorseLuver14: **nm...just going over my career options...

**MeAgainstTheWorld: **And those would be...?

**HorseLuver14: **The best-looking one is professional Quidditch player.

**MeAgainstTheWorld: **Really?

**HorseLuver14: **Yeah...I heard a rumor that the Holyfeild Harpies are looking for a Seeker...

**MeAgainstTheWorld: **Cool!

**HorseLuver14: **It might not end up being me...it'll probably end up being someone older.

**MeAgainstTheWorld: **I don't know...Viktor Krum played for Bulgaria before he finished his seventh year.

**HorseLuver14: **It would be so cool if I got in...

**MeAgainstTheWorld:** Totally.


	33. Chapter 33

**Our Little Corner of the Internet **

**GooGooDolls4Ever: **I can't believe that school is almost over...

**HorseLuver14: **I know! We're finally graduating!

**GooGooDolls4Ever: **It's so weird...knowing that I'm almost done...

**Loopy: **Very weird.

**PressingOn: **I've still got a year to go...and you're all leaving me...

**BeWereTheSister: **lol.

**GooGooDolls4Ever: **So what kinds of jobs are you all thinking about?

**HorseLuver14: **The Harpies are looking for a Chaser, so I'm going to see if they'll let me in.

**BeWereTheSister: **I thought they were looking for a Seeker?

**HorseLuver14: **So did I. But I guess I had the info wrong. lol.

**Loopy: **I'm not sure what I want to do...probably something...outside.

**BeWereTheSister: **Yeah...I think I'd rather chop my own arm off and beat myself to death with it than be a cubicle worker.

**Loopy: **Sounds painful.

**GooGooDolls4Ever: **And slow.

**BeWereTheSister: **Yeah...it really does...

**

* * *

**

Subject: Guess What?

I couldn't do this in an IM because...well, it's just too big, but...

I'm the Harpies' new Chaser!!

WOOT!!

**Posted by: Horse Luver 14 **

* * *

**Subject: RE: Guess What? **

Nice one, Ginny! I knew you'd make it!!

**Posted by: Me Against the World**

* * *

**Subject: RE: Guess What? **

Was there ever really any question?

Nice job, Gin!

**Posted by: Gorkyshlorky and Fervenugen **

* * *

**Subject: RE: Guess What? **

Yeah...we're having a party over at my house later on to celebrate! Everyone is invited!

**Posted by: Horse Luver 14**

**

* * *

**

Gryffindor and Proud

_**Horse Luver 14 **_

So...I'm the new Chaser for the Holyhead Harpies, and--of course--Mum threw a party for me today.

Everyone came, and the house was packed. We mostly hung out in the backyard, which was decorated with Harpies stuff and decked out in Harpies colors. The best part, though, was the food.

See, Teri had been talking online with the twins, and somehow they got on the topic of Dark Lord Supreme--Bellabitch's username that reminded everyone of a sandwich. We joked around a bit about that--and then the twins told Teri about what kind of sandwich they thought it'd be.

Well, Teri's dad runs a restaurant, and he's always on the lookout for new recipes. So she mentioned Dark Lord Supreme to her dad, he thought it sounded delicious...and the next thing we know, Teri's dad is catering the party because "he needed someone to test this sandwich on." (Teri didn't tell us what they were called, but she grinned sort of mischeviously when she brought them in.) Mum was just happy because she didn't have to cook for a dozen or so teenagers.

Everyone liked it, and everyone thought there was something familiar about it. Ron was the first one to say so.

"It seems kind of...familiar...I mean in a good way. What's it called again?"

The twins and Teri all grinned. "Dark Lord Supreme," they said.

It took a minute for that to sink in. Suddenly, almost at the same time, we all remembered Bellabitch's username--and we all started laughing.

"Did he make Dark Lord Surprise for dessert?" Draco asked when the laughter finally died down.

"No, I didn't really tell him about that," Teri said. "Maybe I should, though."

"Sounds chocolatey," Luna said.

"Dark chocolate," Millicent said.

"Maybe with white chocolate, too?"

"Oh! And almonds!"

"Maybe caramel?"

By the time everyone left, we had several different recipes for Dark Lord Surprise.

* * *

_Gah...I hate writer's block..._


	34. Chapter 34

_Okay...I'm going to skip quite a bit here--just a few quick blog posts that'll cover about a year. Teehee! I rhymed! _

* * *

**Diary of an Auror **

**_Stag _**

I know I haven't posted in a while--being an Auror means I'm really busy. Good busy, though. I've finished basic training and started looking for all of the Death Eaters that disappeared after the war. (Some of them are REALLY good at hiding, which is frustrating.)

I got an idea, but I don't know if I'll be able to run with it or not. See, I was visiting Aunt Andy (Draco started calling her that and it just stuck) and Teddy, talking with her, watching Teddy play, and it occurred to me that Teddy is really lucky. Luckier than I was; he gets to live with his grandmother while I had to live with the Dursleys. Suddenly, I thought: What if someone were to make a place for all those magical orphans who have nowhere else to go?

I haven't told anyone else about my idea yet--like I said before, I've been really busy. But I'm going to suggest it to Mrs. Weasley when I get the chance.

* * *

**Proud Chaser**

**_Horse Luver 14 _**

I love playing for the Harpies.

But I've been really busy.

And I'm not home all that much.

Still, I love it.

* * *

**KiltedStranger: **Hey everyone...what's up?

**MiseryBusiness: **I can't find a freaking job!

**KiltedStranger: **I'm sorry, Mill...

**Fervenugen:** Can you find a non-freaking job?

**MiseryBusiness: **No! NOBODY wants to hire me!

**Gorkyshlorky: **You could come work at our shop, if you wanted...

**MiseryBusiness: **Don't you already have enough workers there?

**Fervenugen: **So what if we do?

**MiseryBusiness: **I don't want to work someplace where I'm not needed.

**KiltedStranger: **Didn't Shacklebolt repeal Umbitch's anti-werewolf laws?

**MiseryBusiness: **Why would a little thing like that matter? Just because they CAN doesn't mean they WILL.

**Fervenugen: **I'm sure there's SOMEone who'll hire you.

**Gorkyshlorky: **Yeah. You've just got to find them.

**MiseryBusiness: **They're probably in France. Or the US. Or maybe Antarctica.

**KiltedStranger: **Need a hug?

**MiseryBusiness: **Don't you have work?

**KiltedStranger: **I'm off in five minutes.

**MiseryBusiness: **Sounds good, then. :D

* * *

**Happy Days are Here at Last **

**_Pressing On_**

Well, I've finally graduated.

Mum and Dad had a party for me yesterday--family friends of theirs and school friends of mine. The adults left before dinner, but all of my friends stayed long after that. We ordered pizza (Millie was excited), drank soda, and sat around talking until Theo noticed that it was raining outside. Sort of randomly, we all decided to go for a walk because walking in the rain is fun. We ended up taking the dog because Mum said he needed a walk.

The street I live on is in the middle of a little patch of trees, and the houses aren't all that close together. You can stray off the main street and walk through the trees while avoiding all the nearby houses--except for this one guy who ALWAYS knows when you're near and ALWAYS yells at you to get off his lawn.

We ended up sort of splitting off into smaller groups and wandering around. Draco and I ended up together.

"It's so pretty out," I said.

"Yeah. I love rain."

"Yeah."

We were quiet for a few minutes, then we started talking about graduating and what I plan on doing and St. Mungo's and all the changes he wants to make. We almost didn't notice that it had started raining harder, or that it was nearly dark out; we just kept walking.

"We should probably head back," I said when we stopped for a minute. "Mum's probably getting worried."

"Yeah."

"Not to mention we're both getting soaked."

He didn't say anything for a long moment. He put his hands on my shoulders, brushed a strand of wet hair from my face, then leaned forward and kissed me.

When we finally pulled away, we just looked at each other for a long moment. He smiled, and so did I.

Without a word, we turned around and headed back home.

* * *


	35. Chapter 35

**Lynx: **Anyone on?

**Stag: **Hello.

**Lynx: **Hi Harry. What's going on?

**Stag: **Nothing, at the moment. Which is weird. The silence is kind of creepy.

**Lynx: **So there's NOTHING going on right now?

**Stag:** No. Like I said, it's kind of creepy. If he weren't dead, I'd think YKW would burst through the door any minute.

**Lynx:** lol. Enjoy it while it lasts.

**Stag: **Yeah. BTW, I had an idea...

**Lynx: **What is it?

**Stag: **Well, you know how many kids were orphaned after the war. And out of those, probably only about half of them--and that's being optimistic--will be lucky enough to grow up in the magical world. The rest of them will probably have to grow up with Muggles, and I know from experience that not all Muggles like the magical world.

**Lynx: **I'm aware of that. Not that I'm happy about it, of course.

**Stag: **I know you're not. I was just thinking...if I could find someone who's willing and has enough time on their hands to run it, what would you think of starting a magical orphanage?

**Lynx: **I think that's a great idea! Best one I've heard all day.

**Stag: **Really?

**Lynx: **Of course! I don't know if I'd be able to help you, but you definitely have my permission.

**Stag: **Great! Now all I have to do is find someone who's willing and has that funny stuff called "free time."

**Lynx: **lol.

**

* * *

**

Minister by Default

**_Lynx _**

After having to hear dozens of hairbrained suggestions from almost everyone in the Ministry, the best one I've heard in a while comes from someone who doesn't even work in the Ministry. (After the war, we made the Auror office independent from the Ministry so that if anything ever happens to the Ministry again--translation: if it's ever overtaken by another power-hungry psychopath--the Aurors won't be ineffective.)

Harry and I were talking online during one of those rare things...I think they're called "breaks." Anyway, he suggested creating a magical orphanage--a place where all the magical children whose parents were killed can go, or just where kids from bad homes can go for the summer until they leave Hogwarts.

I don't know how we're going to manage this, what with all the other things going on (and all the morons who don't think dementors are inhumane), but I hope we find a way. Like I said before, it's one of the best ideas I've heard in a while.

* * *

**Diary of an Auror**

**_Stag _**

I can't believe it. My idea for the magical orphanage is actually coming together.

It started when I told Shacklebolt my idea and he said he liked it, but it didn't really get going until I suggested it to Mrs. Weasley.

"That's a wonderful idea," she said. "If you do start one, I'd be more than happy to get involved."

"Do you know of anyone else who'd be interested?"

"Yes, actually. I'll talk to them about it."

She did, and pretty soon we had a pretty big group of people who all thought a magical orphanage was a great idea and wanted to do something to help--donate money, get organized, etc. We even had a gourmet chef volunteer to cook meals once it was built.

Of course, building it would be a problem. First we'd have to find a site that was away from Muggles, get permission to build there, get the materials and set up anti-Muggle charms--all before we even started. I was sort of venting to everyone about what a problem it'd be, and Draco solved it.

"You could use the Manor," he said.

"You mean...your old house?"

"Well, yeah. I mean, _I'm _not going to live there. And it shouldn't be too much of a problem to get rid of any Dark Arts stuff that's left."

"That's actually a very good idea," Aunt Andy said from the kitchen. "You could divide up some of the rooms to make room for more kids, make it a bit more homey..."

"Fix the hole Aunt Spazzy left in the carpet?"

I laughed. "Yeah. That's probably a good idea."

I can't believe it's actually coming together.

* * *

**KiltedStranger: **You're doing WHAT with the Manor?

**YouCanCallMeE: **Converting it into a magical orphanage. What's so weird about that?

**KiltedStranger: **Um, maybe the fact that you didn't even want to go back there to get your stuff, and now you're suggesting orphans live there?

**YouCanCallMeE: **That was two years ago, Theo. Besides, none of the kids will have lived there before. They don't know everything that went on there.

**KiltedStranger: **You do realize that most of the kids will say it's haunted, right?

**YouCanCallMeE: **Everyone knows it isn't. And once they take a look around, they'll see it's not.

**KiltedStranger: **What did Shacklebolt say when Harry suggested it?

**YouCanCallMeE: **He liked the idea. He sort of said the same thing you're saying--mostly about how some people will have a hard time getting over what it was--but he thought it was a good idea.

**KiltedStranger: **It's a weird idea, but it could work.

**YouCanCallMeE: **Once we get rid of the carpet Aunt Spazzy burned a hole in, it should actually be a pretty nice place.

* * *

**The Invisible Man **

**_Falcon_**

Harry came up with the idea for a magical orphanage, and I said he could use the Manor if they needed a place for it.

Most everyone liked the idea. Theo still isn't sure, and to be honest, I'm not completely sure, either. Still, they needed a place for it, and using the Manor would save time, money, and a whole bunch of other things worth saving. That, and anyone who's never been there before would think it's a pretty nice place.

* * *

_Yes, Shacklebolt uses chatspeak. EVERYONE uses chatspeak during private online conversations. Heck, my MOM uses little snippets of chatspeak--lol, jk, brb, btw--online sometimes, so I don't think it's too much of a stretch to say Shacklebolt uses the occasional "lol." _

_BTW, I think it'd probably take a while to convince the wizarding world to ban dementors from Azkaban. Need I remind you that Crabbe and Goyle--and the Carrows--are in there? You could argue that they deserve to be surrounded by dementors. _


	36. Chapter 36

_This chapter spans several months or so; a day-by-day itinerary of what renovations took place in the Manor seemed unspeakably boring. And if this chapter seems to be mostly summary, it's because everyone is really busy and doesn't have time to post more than that. _

**PressingOn: **You're turning the Manor into an orphanage?

**YouCanCallMeE: **Yep. Well, technically, a bunch of other people are doing it...

**PressingOn: **You're still letting them.

**YouCanCallMeE: **Yeah...

**PressingOn: **That's really sweet!

**YouCanCallMeE: **lol. Thanks. I just hope we can make it look less...imposing.

**PressingOn: **Yeah...we wouldn't want all the little kids screaming when they see it.

**YouCanCallMeE: **lol! Yeah, that wouldn't be good...

**

* * *

**

The Invisible Man

**_Falcon_**

For the first time in two years, I went back to the Manor.

The Aurors sent a team--one that included Harry and Ron--to get rid of any Dark Arts stuff that might still be lurking there. I went along because...well...I lived there and had an idea of where any Dark Arts stuff might be.

It was weird, going back there. The first time I went back was awful--probably because all of those horrible memories of that place were still raw. This time, though, it wasn't so bad. Mostly weird, seeing everything just like I'd left it. That hole in the carpet was still there, and my room was still just as messy as it had always been. The only difference was that everything was covered with dust.

We got to work right away, and the first thing we did was get rid of all the portraits in the hall. It kind of went without saying that they'd protest us turning the place into an orphanage, and protesting was the last thing we needed. So I guess they got all of the arguing and insulting out of the way while we were getting rid of them. (They kept saying stuff like "Draco, I can't believe you're _doing _this to us, you're such a traitor, your parents should've listened when we warned them about you, blah blah blah." At first I argued back: "Believe it, Uncle Albert, yes, I'm a traitor, you never warned anyone about anything," but then I got tired of that so I just kept telling them to shut up. Not that they listened, but oh well.)

After that, we moved the furniture outside. We thought we might still use some of it, so we saved those pieces and decided to sell the rest. I saved most of my stuff, since I'm planning on getting my own apartment soon, and some of Mum's stuff, like her photo album. I don't know if I'll ever look at it, but getting rid of it seemed wrong.

* * *

**The World's Smartest Idiot **

**_Terrier_**

I never knew one house could have so many Dark spells and artifacts in it, but then again it _did _belong to Lucius Malfoy.

Almost everything seemed sort of sinister. Even the furniture seemed kind of evil, but maybe that's just because everything was covered in dust and the place was eerily quiet. At first we were all quiet, but then Draco got the bright idea to turn on some Muggle music, and that made the house seem less spooky.

It'll take us a few days to get rid of everything, but when we're done, it should actually be a pretty nice place. Not that _I'd _want to live there, but it'll be nice for kids who don't know its history.

* * *

**The Invisible Man **

**_Falcon_**

Well, we've gotten rid of all the Dark Arts stuff and finished renovations, and the Manor actually looks welcoming.

They kept some of the rooms--like my old bedroom--the way they were and plan on just adding another bed so two kids can share it, but with some of the bigger ones--like the parlor--they divided them up into smaller rooms. (The plan is to have no more than two or three kids in any one room so they have some measure of privacy.) They built bedrooms where they hadn't been before, made the dining room just a tiny bit bigger, and got rid of the chandelier. (One of the Aurors suggested keeping it because the kids wouldn't know that it almost killed Hermione, but then Ron pointed out that little kids who haven't learned how to control magic yet could Apparate onto it and swing around. That ended the debate, and the chandelier was out.)

Outside, the courtyard looks less prim than it did when I was growing up. There are still flowers growing along the walkways, of course, but they got rid of most of the fountains and birdbaths so the kids will have space to run around without worrying that they'll break something.

I didn't stick around to help with most of the renovations because I had work at the hospital and all they really needed me for was to show them where Dark Arts stuff might be, so coming back and seeing what everyone had done with it was a surprise. The first thing I said when I saw the backyard was "Looks like fun. It never looked fun before."

I'm really stoked for the orphanage to open.

* * *

**Let Love In **

**_Otter_**

It's the most ironic thing I've ever heard--housing kids whose parents were killed by YKW in a house that YKW once hijacked for his headquarters.

Actually, no--that's not the _most _ironic thing I've ever heard. It's sort of tied with being asked to help out there.

Yes, Harry--and Aunt Andy, and Mrs. Weasley, and McGonagall, and several other people--suggested I help out at the magical orphanage once we get the whole thing organized. Said I'd be good at it, enjoy it, the kids would like me, and on and on. I can't say I disagree with them; I've always liked working with little kids.

Unless something extreme happens to change my mind, I'll probably say yes. From what I've heard, it doesn't even look like the same house anymore.

* * *

_I know JK said Hermione went to work for the Ministry, but I don't think she would right away. Besides, working at an orphanage seems like something she'd enjoy. _


	37. Chapter 37

**Not One of Them Involving You **

**_Misery Business_**

Guess what? I found a freaking job!

The magical orphanage is just about done, and they've been looking for people to help out there. Since the whole thing was Harry's idea, it's in Draco's old house, and Molly and Aunt Andy are going to run it, the whole bias thing was pretty much moot, so they said I could work there!

I'm really excited about this.

* * *

**Real Men Wear Kilts **

**_Kilted Stranger _**

Well, the orphanage is scheduled to open in a few days, and I'm just about done with my article.

Yep. I got assigned to write the article on the orphanage. It's front-page news, and I'm writing it. I'm really excited about having an article of mine appear on the front page, but I'm just hoping I don't make any mistakes--misquote anyone or anything. (Since it was Harry, Shacklebolt, Aunt Andy and Draco who supplied most of the quotes, I don't think they'd mind if I got a word or two wrong, but the paranoia is still there. Besides, there are also those people who STILL don't think operating an orphanage out of a house YKW once used as his headquarters is a good idea.)

All I have to do now is go to the actual ceremony and take notes.

* * *

**Diary of an Auror **

**_Stag_**

The orphanage opened today.

A huge crowd had gathered in front of the Manor to see the ribbon cut. Since I had masterminded the whole thing, I was the one who got to officially cut the ribbon, and I was also called as a speaker.

I wasn't sure exactly what to say. Telling them all about my crummy childhood seemed whiney, and at the same time, I didn't _want _to tell a crowd of strangers all about my crummy childhood. Talking about what a great idea this orphanage was seemed self-serving, and using Teddy as an example seemed...I don't know...sort of rude, since he might be reading about this speech someday.

In the end, I decided to talk about the war. "I'm sure we all remember the war," I began. "A war like that is hard to forget, especially when we consider the number of people who lost their lives--and of those, the number of people who had children."

I talked about the orphanage, how I hoped it would help those kids, thanked everyone who contributed, then cut the ribbon that stretched across the opening in the gate. Everyone cheered, and I couldn't help smiling.

The kids won't move in until tomorrow so the public could tour the place. Even though I had seen the Manor when renovations first began, and again before all the furniture got moved in, it didn't look like the same place. There were pictures and posters on the walls, toys and games in several rooms and in the backyard, and several rooms had been converted into classrooms to teach the kids basic stuff like reading and math. Like Draco said when he saw the backyard, it looked like fun. It had never looked like fun before.

Nobody could believe it was the same place. Molly just stared at everything, and when I looked at Aunt Andy, she was grinning.

"What's so funny?" Draco asked.

"I'm just thinking of what Lucius would say if he could see this."

* * *


	38. Chapter 38

**Let Love In**

**_Otter_**

Well, today was my first day working at the orphanage, and I've decided that I love it.

The rest of the staff and I got there around eight in the morning to get things ready--go over room assignments, make sure everything was in place--for the kids, most of whom wouldn't come until ten or so. It was kind of funny, seeing how differently everyone felt about it. Aunt Andy was nervous, but not nearly as nervous as Molly, who kept running back and forth, checking on everything. When she asked the cook for the fourth time if he was _sure _we had enough to feed all the kids, he exploded.

"Molly, you've asked me three times--now four--if we have enough, and my answer has always been the same! What, do you think I've been sitting in here just stuffing my face or something?"

Millicent and I, who had been listening just outside, giggled. It was way too easy to picture Rob sitting in the kitchen, stuffing his face. We hurried off when we heard Molly approaching the door, and headed to the backyard to make sure everything was ready for the kids. Everything was, but we needed to get away and give Molly time to cool off before the kids arrived.

We looked around at the backyard for a moment in silence. It wouldn't be silent for long; pretty soon, kids would come and fill the yard with laughter and shouts as they played.

"You nervous?" Millicent said after a minute.

"Sort of. Why? Are you?"

"Yeah."

"They're little kids, Mill. The only people they don't like usually deserve it."

She looked at the ground and chuckled. "Guess you're right."

Several carriages arrived just after ten, and roughly twelve kids got out and came into the Manor. None of them were older than nine or ten, and the youngest was three. None of them went anywhere; they all just stood in the entryway, looking around and whispering.

Aunt Andy and Molly came out and greeted them, then called us helpers out and introduced us. We smiled and waved; only about half of the kids waved back.

They picked their rooms, we helped them unpack, then let them run around outside for a while while we watched them. One little girl came up to us and tugged my shirt.

"Yeah?" I said.

"Hi," she said.

"Hi."

"I'm Marlaina," she said. "I'm four."

"Four? Wow, you're a big girl!"

She nodded. "This house is really big."

"Yeah, it is, isn't it?"

She nodded again and looked around at the backyard. "Yeah. My brother said whoever lived here must've been loaded. What does loaded mean?"

I looked at Millicent, who was grinning, then back at Marlaina. "It means very rich."

"Oh. You mean, like they have a lot of money?"

"Mmhmm. Who's your brother?"

She spun around and pointed. "Right there."

"What's his name?"

"Justin."

We talked until another little girl came over, introduced herself, and got Marlaina to play.

"They're so cute!" Millicent said.

"Aren't they?"

That's what the rest of the day was like: watching the kids play and preparing for lessons tomorrow. I'm going to teach them how to read, and Millicent will teach basic math. Some of the other helpers will teach stuff like shapes and whatnot, and we'll all teach them about the wizarding world.

I think I'm going to like this job.

* * *

**KiltedStranger:** 'Ello, Mill. What's up?

**MiseryBusiness: **nm. Just on my break. There was a duck in the pond today.

**KiltedStranger: **Did the kids like that?

**MiseryBusiness: **The younger ones got all excited. They didn't stop talking about it until after lunch.

**KiltedStranger: **lol.

**MiseryBusiness:** Yeah. It was really cute.

**KiltedStranger:** I'll bet. What time are you off?

**MiseryBusiness: **Same time as usual.

**KiltedStranger: **Okay. Want to go...I don't know...hang out or something after work?

**MiseryBusiness: **Sure!

**KiltedStranger: **Great! Glad you like your job.

**MiseryBusiness: **Yeah. I love it. It doesn't really SEEM like a job sometimes--know what I mean?

**KiltedStranger: **Yeah. You just love doing what you're doing so much that it doesn't seem like you're working.

**MiseryBusiness: **Yeah! It's fun.

**KiltedStranger: **I feel the same way about writing for the Prophet--the world could be crumbling around me and I'd just be sitting at my desk, typing away, going "Hehehe...I love my job..."

**MiseryBusiness: **lol! I'd probably get the kids to safety first...

**KiltedStranger: **lol. That's probably a good idea.

**MiseryBusiness: **I have to get back to work soon. See you around eight?

**KiltedStranger: **See you then.

* * *

**Real Men Wear Kilts **

**_Kilted Stranger _**

It's funny...Millicent and I hang out all the time, but it still seems like we don't do it enough. When she's not around, all I think about is her, and when she is...

Last night, all we did was walk around, then sit down on a bench and talk, but I can't think of anything that would've been more fun than that.

* * *


	39. Chapter 39

**HorseLuver14: **Hi Harry!

**MeAgainstTheWorld: **Hey Ginny! What's up?

**HorseLuver14: **nm...you?

**MeAgainstTheWorld: **nm. How's playing for the Harpies?

**HorseLuver14:** Great, as usual. Busy, though.

**MeAgainstTheWorld: **Are you coming home for Christmas again this year?

**HorseLuver14: **Yeppers.

**MeAgainstTheWorld: **Sweet.

**HorseLuver14: **It'll be weird, not having Christmas in the Burrow.

**MeAgainstTheWorld:** Yeah.

**HorseLuver14: **Mum and Dad said they like living in the Manor, though.

**MeAgainstTheWorld: **It's a really nice place. And with a whole bunch of magical orphans running around...

**HorseLuver14: **It wouldn't be boring, that's for sure.

**MeAgainstTheWorld: **So...see you at Christmas?

**HorseLuver14: **Yep. I'll see you at Christmas.

**MeAgainstTheWorld: **'Kay. Love ya!

**HorseLuver14: **Love ya, too.

**MeAgainstTheWorld: **See you later.

**HorseLuver14: **See you later.

* * *

**Proud Chaser **

**_Horse Luver 14_**

Don't get me wrong, I love playing for the Harpies. It's the most amazing job I could possibly think of, and I'm really lucky to have gotten it. The only downside is that I'm almost always away from home, and I miss everyone.

Especially Harry.

I know I'm going to see him at Christmas, and I see him every other time I'm home, but I still miss him. The time we're together never seems long enough.

* * *

**PenguinsRFun**: Are you serious?

**MeAgainstTheWorld:** I think so.

**PenguinsRFun:** What do you mean, you think so?

**MeAgainstTheWorld:** I mean, I'm not sure if I'm serious. I THINK I'm serious, but I don't know.

**PenguinsRFun: **That didn't make much sense, Harry...

**MeAgainstTheWorld:** I know. But I've kind of got a lot on my mind and I don't think I could make sense if I tried.

**PenguinsRFun:** You'd better fix that before you ask Ginny.

**MeAgainstTheWorld:** But if I'm not going to ask her, then I won't have to fix that...

**PenguinsRFun: **Huh?

**MeAgainstTheWorld: **I don't know!

**PenguinsRFun: **Are you going to ask her or not?

**MeAgainstTheWorld: **That's why I asked YOU if I should or not!

**PenguinsRFun: **I don't know...I mean, isn't she kind of busy with the Harpies?

**MeAgainstTheWorld: **Yeah...but I'm busy, too.

**PenguinsRFun: **Well, do you WANT to ask her?

**MeAgainstTheWorld: **Yeah. I do. Sort of.

**PenguinsRFun: **Harry...

**MeAgainstTheWorld: **I mean, I don't want to ASK, but I want to see if she'll say yes or not.

**PenguinsRFun:** I think she would.

**MeAgainstTheWorld: **I hope so.

**PenguinsRFun: **So you're going to do it?

**MeAgainstTheWorld**: If I don't chicken out, yeah. I'm going to ask her.

**Diary of an Auror **

**_Stag _**

I can't believe I'm doing this.

I'm going to ask Ginny to marry me.

I have never been more nervous.

* * *

_A few more clarifications..._

_1) Arthur, Molly and Andy are all living in the Manor. That's who stays with the kids during the night since the workers go home. _

_2) It's been a little over three years (about three-and-a-half) since the war. So Harry and Ginny are in their early 20s by now--definitely old enough to get married. For those of you who STILL think it's too soon, Harry is the one who decided he was going to propose. I had no idea he was planning it until Ron asked him if he was serious or not. So if you've got any objections, take them up with Harry, not me. _


	40. Chapter 40

**The World's Smartest Idiot**

**_Terrier _**

So...

Christmas is coming up, which means Ginny will be getting a few weeks away from the Harpies.

Which means she's coming home.

Which means Harry is going to propose to her.

Not that I'm upset or anything. Actually, I'm probably feeling the exact opposite of upset. I know they really like each other, and Mum (and everyone else in the family) likes Harry, and I'm just happy because I can't think of anyone else I'd rather have as a brother-in-law.

He told me first, and then he told Hermione. Later, when we were talking--just Mione and I--we sort of started scheming.

"You don't think he'll chicken out, do you?" she said.

"I don't know. I mean, it's a kind of scary question..."

"It's just a question, Ron," she laughed. "Questions aren't that scary."

"Well, you're not the one who'll have to ask it."

She gave me a weird look, so I changed the subject. "I hope he doesn't chicken out."

Mione was quiet for a long moment. "Does your mum know?"

"If he's planning to ask her? I don't think so."

She smiled sort of mischeiviously. "Well, if she _did _know, she wouldn't _let _him chicken out."

I smiled back at her. "How would we tell her?"

"_We _wouldn't. _He _would." I just looked at her. "Well, all we have to do is convince him to ask her parents' permission first!"

"Oh! I get it! And then Mum and Dad'll know, so he won't be able to chicken out of it!"

"Exactly!"

"We're so sneaky."

* * *

**Diary of an Auror**

**_Stag _**

Well, I asked her parents' permission to marry Ginny, and they said yes.

I wasn't quite sure if I was supposed to ask them first, so I asked Ron and Hermione what they thought. They both said yeah, totally, it's polite and all that. That all made sense, so I went to the Manor after work one day--late, so all the kids would be in bed--and brought it up.

"Ginny and I have been dating a while," I said.

"Yes you have," Molly said. "What--almost four years?"

"Yeah. Almost four years." I looked at the living room floor, then at the back of the sofa, then at Molly and Arthur. They were both looking at me, which made me even more nervous. "I'm not having second thoughts about her or anything," I continued. "If anything, I like her more every day."

They kept looking at me, and I'm pretty sure they were both starting to smile.

"And I was thinking...about...you know...taking it to the next level."

Molly gasped--a happy sort of gasp. "Are you going to propose to her?"

"Yeah...if it's okay with you two."

She jumped up from the sofa and ran over to hug me, and I think Arthur did at the same moment because they both hugged me at the same time.

"Well, of _course _it's okay with us!" Arthur said when they pulled away. "Did you really think we'd say no?"

"Um, I wasn't sure. That's why I asked."

We had a sort of impromptu celebration right then and there. They asked me when I was planning on asking her, and I said when she's home for Christmas, so I guess there's no chickening out now.

I have a plan, and I think it's a good one.

* * *

**Engaged Chaser **

**_Horse Luver 14_**

This has probably been the best Christmas ever. Want to hear why?

Harry proposed! On Christmas Eve, no less!

I had just come home for Christmas a few days earlier, and had just gotten through saying hi to everyone. We usually have Christmas Eve dinner with the rest of the family, so I thought it was weird that Harry wanted to go out for dinner. What was weirder, Mum and Dad thought it was a good idea.

We went to this really nice restaurant, had dinner, and talked the whole time. By the time we finished dessert, he seemed kind of jumpy, but I didn't ask why. We finished dessert, went outside, got into a carriage, and drove off. Somewhere along the way we stopped talking and just sat there, his arm around me, me leaning into him. I almost fell asleep.

"Where are we?" I said when we stopped.

"You'll see." When we got out, I gasped. We were on the top of this snow-covered hill that seemed surrounded by sky. There weren't any clouds, so we had an unhindered view of a million stars. I was still marvelling at it all when Harry shouted "Okay, go ahead!"

Fireworks went off all around us--all different colors. When I turned around, Harry was on one knee, holding an open box with a ring.

"Ginny, will you marry me?"

Of course, I said yes.

* * *


	41. Chapter 41

**Engaged Chaser **

**_Horse Luver 14_**

Well, I've started telling everyone about Harry and I. After Mum and Dad (who were ecstatic), Luna was the first.

I went to her house, because this seems like the kind of thing you have to share in person. I found her sitting in her room, working on something for her job. (It's for this job she and Neville are working at--they keep track of all the different plants and animals used in magic.) I tapped her shoulder, and she stood.

"Hey, Ginny! What are you doing here?" I just grinned, and she smiled, too. "Why do you look so happy?"

I held out my hand, showing her the engagement ring. She gasped.

"He proposed?"

I nodded.

"And you said yes?"

"Well, duh! I would've had to have been a moron to say no!"

She squealed, and we hugged.

"So how did he do it? Ask you, I mean."

I told her--about dinner and the carriage ride and the hill and the fireworks. "That's so sweet!" she said when I finished.

"Isn't it, though?"

"So when is it?" Luna said after a minute or two.

"When's what?"

"The wedding. When is it?"

"We haven't really discussed it--I mean, he just proposed two days ago. But I think we both like the idea of getting married in the spring."

"That would be nice, what with the flowers and the trees and everything."

"Yeah." We were quiet for another long moment.

"Well, congratulations," she finally said.

"Um, I actually came here to ask you something, too." I took a deep breath. "I was wondering if you'd be my maid of honor."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah! I mean, we've been friends for a while, and...so...will you?"

She hugged me again. "I'd love to."

**

* * *

**

**PressingOn: **Did you hear about Harry and Ginny?

**MiseryBusiness: **YES!

**GooGooDolls4Ever: **Did you hear how he asked her?

**PressingOn:** YES! That is SO sweet!

**MiseryBusiness: **How did he ask her? I didn't hear...

**GooGooDolls4Ever: **Well, first of all, he did it on Christmas Eve.

**MiseryBusiness:** Romantic.

**GooGooDolls4Ever: **Anyway, he took her out for dinner to this really nice restaurant, then took her on a carriage ride to a sort of secluded hill where he had the twins shoot off fireworks, and that's when he asked her.

**MiseryBusiness: **Awww...that is SO sweet!

**PressingOn: **Isn't it, though?

**GooGooDolls4Ever: **I thought so. I was kind of jealous.

**MiseryBusiness: **Who wouldn't be? I mean, how much more romantic can you get?

* * *

**PenguinsRFun: **Anyone on?

**YouCanCallMeE:** 'Ello.

**PenguinsRFun:** Hey.

**YouCanCallMeE: **Hey. What's up?

**PenguinsRFun: **For me? nm. For Mum and Ginny and Harry, a lot.

**YouCanCallMeE:** Planning the wedding?

**PenguinsRFun: **How'd you guess?

**YouCanCallMeE:** Genius. That's how.

**PenguinsRFun:** lol. You heard how Harry asked her, right?

**YouCanCallMeE: **Yeah. Fireworks...pretty intense.

**PenguinsRFun: **Yeah. I kind of wish he hadn't, though...

**YouCanCallMeE: **Oh?

**PenguinsRFun:** Not that he didn't ask her, I mean, but...I don't know...maybe just that he didn't go all-out to ask her? I mean, now that he's asked Ginny, Mione will probably want ME to ask HER soon.

**YouCanCallMeE: **I know exactly what you mean.

**PenguinsRFun: **Not that I wasn't planning on asking her soon anyway, but I mean, FIREWORKS? How am I going to top THAT?

**YouCanCallMeE: **Yeah...stupid Harry, stealing the best idea.

**PenguinsRFun: **Yeah. lol.

**YouCanCallMeE: **Given that fact, I don't think Mione would hold it against you if you didn't do something so...

**PenguinsRFun: **Elaborate?

**YouCanCallMeE: **I was going to say "show-offy," but "elaborate" works. lol.

**PenguinsRFun: **Yeah. Not that I'm mad at Harry or anything.

**YouCanCallMeE: **Oh, yeah. 'Course not. It's not his fault he gets all the best ideas before we do.

**PenguinsRFun: **Yeah. And then actually USES them without having them turn out lame.

**YouCanCallMeE: **Yeah.

* * *


	42. Chapter 42

**

* * *

**

Changing the World with Witch Weekly

**_Pressing On _**

I know I haven't posted in a while, so here's what's been going on:

1. I got a job at _Witch Weekly_, doing an advice column on...um...everything, really--Muggle culture, life, friends, whatever. I even answer the questions that aren't meant to be taken seriously.

2. Harry proposed to Ginny, and now everyone has been talking about the wedding nonstop.

3. Millicent and I both moved out of our parents' houses, and we got an apartment together so we can split the rent.

4. Draco and Daphne have actually been getting along.

He was over at our apartment yesterday, and we were talking about...life and stuff. Well, Daphne came over for a few minutes with a Muggle magazine. (She always brings some of those after she's done reading them so I can get a few ideas for my column.)

"Want to see a _really _ugly Muggle?" she said, more to Draco than to me.

"I don't know. Do I?"

She flicked through the pages until she found a close-up of Michael Jackson--now, not in the 80s, with his skin all pale and everything. Stumbling back, Draco pointed at the picture.

"PHIL'S BACK AND HE'S GOT HAIR!!"

I thought Daphne would die laughing.

* * *

**Diary of an Auror**

**_Stag_**

According to Ginny, the wedding plans are coming along nicely. I still don't know what they are. I'm pretty sure it's going to be in April...or maybe May...some month where it's nice out...and she said something about using the colors light blue and maybe yellow...but again, I'm not totally sure.

Me? I just realized that HOLY CRAP I'M GETTING MARRIED IN MAYBE A MONTH!!

* * *

**The World's Smartest Idiot **

**_Terrier_**

There's a downside to letting your fiance plan your wedding for you, and in Harry's case, it's the fact that he doesn't know much about what's going on, wedding-wise.

Actually, come to think of it, I don't think he knows much of anything anymore. The other day, he just walked around in a daze. Good thing it was a Saturday, or else he might've caused some serious problems in the Auror office. I asked him what was wrong, and all he said was "I'm getting married."

I didn't know what to say. Mum said it's just nerves and it'll wear off soon.

* * *

**The Invisible Man **

**_Falcon_**

Harry's nervous.

Really, really nervous.

I guess I would be, too, in his position.

Still, if he stays this nervous, Ginny might get upset. Desparate times call for desparate measures, so it's time to (as the Muggles say) roll out the big guns.

* * *

**Diary of an Auror**

**_Stag_**

Okay, I'm getting married soon.

But I love Ginny.

And that's a good thing.

Yes, we're right for each other. I'm sure of it.

Okay, Drake, happy? No need to show me any more pictures of Michael Jackson. Yes, I'm sure! Do you WANT me scarred for life?

That guy looks so much like Phil it's not even funny.

* * *

_Hey, even I get creeped out looking at Michael Jackson--imagine how someone who had seen Phil would feel? _

_And yes, Harry and Draco were both being sarcastic and kidding around. The pic of Michael Jackson did NOT scare Harry all that bad; it was more Draco pointing out his nervousness that scared him into submission. (mumbles under her breath about people who for some reason don't get sarcasm)_


	43. Chapter 43

**Engaged Chaser **

**_Horse Luver 14_**

The wedding is in less than two weeks.

I've gotten three weeks away from the Harpies--a week before the wedding and two afterward. I was kind of surprised that they were so nice about the whole thing, but then again, they've been really good about time off for planning and whatnot so far.

I'm glad I'm going home again soon. I'm so nervous I'm not playing very well.

* * *

**Diary of an Auror**

**_Stag _**

I can't tell anyone for fear of seeing more Michael Jackson pictures, but...

I AM SCARED OUT OF MY FREAKING MIND!!

* * *

**I'm Loopy**

**_Loony_**

Well, one of my best friends got married today.

The wedding wasn't until two, but we all--all of Ginny's friends, I mean--went over around ten in the morning to help her get ready. It was Teri who asked the question we all knew the answer to but were dying to ask anyway:

"Are you nervous?"

She laughed. "Yeah. Really nervous."

"You'll be fine," her mum said, coming in with more decorations. "You both will."

She smiled. "Thanks, Mum."

After the orphanage staff had taken the kids out for the day, we helped decorate the backyard. I know that the backyard of an orphanage may seem like a weird place to get married, but we needed a place that was away from Muggles and was still sort of pretty, and the Manor's backyard is one of the prettiest places I've ever seen.

"You don't have to help us," Ginny's mum kept saying.

"I'd rather be doing something," she said, and I couldn't help but agree. If I were the one getting married, I wouldn't want to just sit around watching everyone else work. I wouldn't be able to.

Even with magic, all the decorating took a while. It was still worth it, though; by the time we were done, the entire backyard looked even more beautiful than it had before. We had put pale blue and yellow flowers everywhere, hung ribbons over the arches, set up chairs--everything. After a quick lunch, we had two hours to get dressed and everything.

If you asked Ginny, she would say that those two hours went by pretty quickly. If you asked the rest of us, we'd say that it didn't go by quickly at all--probably because Ginny kept asking about everything, running around and checking on everything a billion times.

"Well, at least she's not going Bridezilla on us," Hermione whispered when Ginny checked back in the kitchen for the third time.

"Bridezilla?"

"Muggle saying. It means a bride who's...well...a monster."

I laughed. "Hopefully, she won't get that far."

"I think she's getting pretty close, though," Millicent said. I guess she'd been standing close enough to overhear.

Around one-thirty, we got dressed and started doing our makeup.

"At least she didn't pick out crappy colors or anything," Teri said, and she was right. Ginny had picked out cute, pale blue strapless dresses for all of us bridesmaids to wear--nothing ugly, nothing weird. (And I guess that's really something; Teri told me that at one of her cousins' weddings all of the bridesmaids had to wear these hideous frilly, poofy pink dresses that were almost impossible to walk in. She said that if everyone hadn't loved Jana so much, they probably would've killed her.)

The wedding went off without a hitch. Nobody fainted, nobody screamed that Ginny had been sleeping with all of the groomsmen or that Harry had been doing the same thing with the bridesmaids (and if anyone had, nobody would've believed it), and most importantly, nobody got left at the altar. (Even though the idea seemed ridiculous, I guess it actually scared Ginny enough to worry about it.) Harry looked a little nervous when he got there, and he forgot his lines halfway through the vows, but the minister helped him along and everything else went smoothly.

Her parents cried. I cried a little, too, but I wasn't upset at all. I guess everyone cries at weddings.

* * *

**The World's Smartest Idiot**

**_Terrier_**

Well, my best friend married my sister today.

Dad and I got there early to help him get ready and everything, and he seemed really nervous. How could I tell? Well, aside from the fact that he looked like he hadn't gotten any sleep at all, the first thing he said when we got there and Dad asked him how he was doing was "I think I'm going to puke."

I didn't think that sounded good at all. "Want me to owl Mum? Tell her we've got to hold off?"

Harry started to nod, but Dad shook his head. "It's just nerves. He'll be fine." He started to protest again, so Dad told me to leave them alone for a minute so they could talk.

So I did, and when I came back, Harry looked much better--still a bit nervous, but not at all like he was going to puke. Dad asked him if he'd be okay, and he nodded.

The rest of the day went fine. Harry forgot his lines halfway through the vows, but the minister helped him along and the rest of the ceremony went fine. Mum cried, of course, and even Dad cried a little.

Me? After seeing how happy he and Ginny were at the reception, I'm just glad we didn't call it off.

* * *


	44. Chapter 44

**GooGooDolls4Ever: **So. Harry and Ginny are finally married.

**PenguinsRFun:** Yeah.

**GooGooDolls4Ever: **Took them long enough.

**PenguinsRFun:** Yeah...glad they finally did, though.

**GooGooDolls4Ever:** Yeah. They looked so happy!

**PenguinsRFun: **Yeah. I was kind of surprised--I mean, Harry was so nervous the morning of the wedding that he sort of wanted to call it off.

**GooGooDolls4Ever: **Really?

**PenguinsRFun: **Yeah.

**GooGooDolls4Ever: **lol. At least he got past it. Ginny might've murdered him if he'd called it off.

**PenguinsRFun: **Yeah...probably. lol.

**GooGooDolls4Ever: **I think they're good for each other.

**PenguinsRFun: **Me too.

* * *

**I'm Sane. Deal With It. **

**_O Sane One _**

Well, Harry and Ginny got married a few days ago, right in the Manor's backyard. It was a beautiful wedding, and everyone they knew came. Both were nervous, of course, but nobody backed out at the last minute, and everything went smoothly.

Although nobody has mentioned it, I can tell that Harry and Ginny's wedding has raised a question in everyone's mind: Who's next? I'm sure that, before long, the girls will begin dropping subtle (or maybe not-so-subtle) hints, and if the guys are smart, they'll pick up on them and propose.

But the question still remains: Who first?

Maybe it's just because I'm his aunt, but I hope Draco proposes next.

* * *

**Happily Married Chaser**

**_Horse Luver 14_**

I wish I didn't have to go back with the Harpies so soon.

I know they've been pretty generous with time off, but I still wish I didn't have to leave Harry so soon.

It's SO weird not being Ginny Weasley anymore. Good weird, but still weird. I have to keep reminding myself that it's Potter, not Weasley.

Ginny Potter. Cute. Very cute.

**

* * *

**

Let Love In

**_Goo Goo Dolls 4 Ever_**

It's old news by now that Harry and Ginny are finally married, and it would probably be overstating the obvious to say that, from what I've seen, they're obviously happy together.

And I guess it would also be overstating the obvious to say that I hope Ron pops the question soon. I mean, not that I'm in any rush or anything--and it's not like I'll dump him if he doesn't propose tomorrow--but still...

I'm pretty sure he's going to. I just hope he does before Harry and Ginny are grandparents.

* * *

**OSaneOne: **So...how's Teri?

**YouCanCallMeE:** She's good.

**OSaneOne:** Do you know if you're going to ask her soon?

**YouCanCallMeE:** Subtle, Aunt Andy. Real subtle.

**OSaneOne:** I was just wondering...

**YouCanCallMeE:** Well, I don't know yet. I mean, I have a vague idea of how I'd do it if I was going to, but I don't know if I'm going to yet.

**OSaneOne:** What is it?

**YouCanCallMeE:** Like I said, it's pretty vague. Not a plan, really--more like a really vague concept.

**OSaneOne:** Ah.

**YouCanCallMeE: **I mean, I really do love her, but I don't know if now is the right time, you know? I mean, we're both pretty young.

**OSaneOne: **So are Harry and Ginny.

**YouCanCallMeE: **Well, yeah...but still.

**OSaneOne: **You're scared, aren't you?

**YouCanCallMeE: **No! I mean, not really...I just don't know if now is the right time or not.

**OSaneOne: **Okay. Owl me when you stop being a chicken.

**YouCanCallMeE: **I'm not being a chicken!

**OSaneOne: **Whatever you say, Drake.

* * *

**The Invisible Man**

**_Falcon_**

I don't care what Aunt Andy says. I'm not chicken. I'm just waiting for the right time to ask her, that's all.

* * *

_In case you didn't guess, OSaneOne is Andromeda Tonks, aka Aunt Andy. _


	45. Chapter 45

**KiltedStranger: **Hey...Harry? You on?

**AurorInLove: **Yeah?

**KiltedStranger:** lol. Nice username.

**AurorInLove:** Well, it's true. lol.

**AurorInLove: **You had a question?

**KiltedStranger: **Uh, yeah. Why did you propose to Ginny?

**AurorInLove: **Because I love her?

**KiltedStranger: **No, I mean, how did you know you were going to do it?

**AurorInLove:** Oh, you mean how did I know it was the right time for it? I don't know...why?

**KiltedStranger: **Guess.

**AurorInLove: **Oooohhhh...I see...well, I guess I just knew I couldn't wait to ask her any longer.

**KiltedStranger: **Okay...

**AurorInLove:** Hey, if you want to ask her, ask her. Don't overanalyze it or you'll end up waiting until you're 50.

**KiltedStranger:** lol. So you think I should?

**AurorInLove: **If you want to, do it.

**KiltedStranger:** Okay...

**AurorInLove: **Good luck, BTW.

* * *

**PenguinsRFun: **Hey Harry...you on?

**AurorInLove:** Yeah? I'm here.

**PenguinsRFun:** I had a question...

**AurorInLove:** What is it?

**PenguinsRFun: **How did you know you were going to propose to Ginny? I mean, how did you know to do it RIGHT THEN?

**AurorInLove: **I guess I just knew that I couldn't wait any longer--that I had to do it then.

**PenguinsRFun: **You mean, like, a now or never sort of thing?

**AurorInLove:** No, more like...like if I didn't do it then, I'd end up doing it outside a public restroom or something, probably years later.

**PenguinsRFun: **That would've been creepy...

**AurorInLove: **lol yeah. And stinky.

**PenguinsRFun: **lol.

**AurorInLove:** So when are you thinking of asking Hermione?

**PenguinsRFun:** How could you tell?

**AurorInLove: **It was kind of obvious. So, when are you going to do it?

**PenguinsRFun: **lol. I don't know...soon...ish...

**AurorInLove:** lol. Don't wait too long.

**PenguinsRFun: **Okay. I just have to figure out how I'm going to do it first...

**AurorInLove: **Good luck.

**PenguinsRFun:** Thanks. I'll probably need it.

**AurorInLove: **I'm sure she'll say yes.

**

* * *

**

Real Men Wear Kilts

**_Kilted Stranger_**

I talked to Harry, and he basically said to go ahead and do it.

So that's what I'm going to do.

I don't know how, I don't know when, and I don't know where. But I know I'm going to ask her soon.

* * *

**The World's Smartest Idiot**

**_Terrier_**

Okay, after talking with Harry, I decided I'm going to go ahead and do it. Ask Hermione, I mean.

I don't know how, though I have a pretty good idea, or when, though I know it'll be soon. I don't know exactly where, but I know it won't be outside of a public restroom.

I hope she doesn't say no.

* * *

**Diary of an Auror **

**_Stag _**

So...

Theo and Ron both asked me whether or not they should propose, and I told them both to do it soon (before they chicken out). I knew it would make Hermione and Millicent happy, and after I told Theo to go ahead and do it, I couldn't tell Ron NOT to.

So they'll probably end up proposing around the same time.

This could get interesting.

* * *

_In case you're wondering, yes, several months have passed since Harry and Ginny's wedding. _


	46. Chapter 46

**

* * *

**

Real Men Wear Kilts

**_Kilted Stranger_**

Okay, I've begun formulating a plan for when I finally propose to Millicent. On the to-do list so far:

1. Come up with things I like about her

2. Put that list into a more interesting/readable format

3. Buy an ad space in the _Prophet _

4. Get permission to print "Millicent Bullstrode, read the Want Ads today" somewhere on the front page

5. Come up with a backup plan in case that one doesn't work or Teri thinks it's lame

The first and second ones are turning out to be the hardest, oddly enough. Even though I know what I like about her, it's hard to put it into words.

* * *

**AurorInLove: **So have you figured out how you're going to ask Hermione yet?

**PenguinsRFun: **No...BTW, you haven't told my mum that I'm going to ask her, right?

**AurorInLove:** Nope. It's still a secret.

**PenguinsRFun: **OK, good.

**PenguinsRFun: **Think she'd like something on the beach?

**AurorInLove:** Probably.

**PenguinsRFun: **Ugh...this is so hard! Why is it so hard to figure out how to ask her ONE question?

**AurorInLove:** Maybe because that one question sort of determines what the rest of your life is going to be like?

**PenguinsRFun:** ...crap...thanks a lot, Harry...

**AurorInLove: **Well, I didn't mean it was going to be BAD, just that it's a really important question.

**PenguinsRFun:** Yeah...

**

* * *

**

**The World's Smartest Idiot **

_**Terrier**_

GAH!!

WHY did Harry have to set the bar so high? WHY?! WHY did he have to make it IMPOSSIBLE to come up with something better than what he did?

Why couldn't he have just asked her outside of a public restroom?

* * *

**Real Men Wear Kilts**

**_Kilted Stranger_**

The Plan is coming along nicely. Hopefully, it'll be just as good (if not better than) what Harry did when he asked Ginny.

Grrr...why'd he have to come up with something so COOL?

* * *

**KiltedStranger: **Hey, Teri? Can I get your opinion on something?

**PressingOn: **Sure.

**KiltedStranger: **OK, if I were to propose to Millie, which would be the better way to do it: take her to a nice restaurant and slip the ring into her drink, or do something involving the DP Want Ads?

**PressingOn:** You're going to propose?! YEEEE!

**KiltedStranger:** Yeah...now which way would be better?

**PressingOn: **Ummm...don't use the first idea.

**KiltedStranger:** Why not?

**PressingOn: **Because if the drink was something dark, like wine, she wouldn't see it and might choke on it.

**KiltedStranger: **Well, I was thinking I'd use champagne...

**PressingOn: **Well, in that case, it'd be all wet and slimy when she took it out, not to mention that she'd have to get her fingers all wet when she pulled it out, meaning that she might spill champagne all over her dress, which would TOTALLY ruin the moment.

**KiltedStranger:** Wow...you've really thought this through...

**PressingOn: **I had to answer a question sort of like that for my column two weeks ago, and the more I thought about it, the worse the slip-the-ring-into-her-champagne idea sounded.

**KiltedStranger: **Ah. So I guess I'll go with the paper idea.

**PressingOn: **What IS the paper idea, BTW?

**KiltedStranger:** Well, actually, I'll need your help with it.

**PressingOn: **What do you need me to do?

**KiltedStranger:** All I need you to do is make sure she reads Page 3 of the DP on Monday.

**PressingOn: **Is that where you're going to ask her?

**KiltedStranger:** No, I had to take out a want ad for that. But Page 3 will have this little box in one corner that says "Millicent Bullstrode, turn to the Want Ads."

**PressingOn: **And that's where you'll ask her?

**KiltedStranger: **Yeah. And then I'll need you to signal me when she's just about done so I can come up there and ask her in person.

**PressingOn: **That's so sweet!

**KiltedStranger: **Thanks...I just hope Millie feels the same way.

**PressingOn: **I'm sure she will.

**KiltedStranger: **Thanks.

* * *

**The World's Smartest Idiot**

**_Terrier_**

Aha! Thanks in part to Teri, I finally have a plan!

Now all I have to do is work up the courage to actually do it...

* * *


	47. Chapter 47

**Real Men Wear Kilts **

**_Kilted Stranger_**

Tomorrow is the day.

The day I ask Millicent to marry me.

Everything is in place: Erin gave me permission to leave for a few minutes when Teri owls me, the little box and the want ad are both pretty noticeable, and I've figured out what I'm going to say when I get there. (Another bonus of this plan: Most of what I want to say will have already been said in the ad, so all I have to do is pop the question.)

I can't remember ever being more nervous, not even during the war.

* * *

**Changing the World through Witch Weekly**

**_Pressing On_**

Theo is going to propose tomorrow, before Millie and I leave for work.

He gave me the want ad to preview, and all I can say is that it's incredibly sweet.

She had better not say no. A guy like Theo doesn't come around every day.

* * *

**Just Watch My Wildest Dreams Come True**

**_Misery Business_**

You'll never guess what Theo did this morning.

He proposed!

It was incredibly sweet...I'm still crying just thinking about it. Here's what happened:

The _Daily Prophet _came while we were eating breakfast, and, like always, Teri was the first to skim it. She read a few pages, then showed me one, saying "Look at this. You've got to read this."

At first I didn't see anything interesting--just a few articles on boring stuff in the Ministry--and then a little box in the bottom right-hand corner caught my eye. "Millicent Bullstrode, turn to the Want Ads," it said, so I did. I scanned them until I saw my name; my heart was pounding too much for me to notice much else. This is what it said:

_WANTED: MILLICENT JANE BULLSTRODE_

_FOR: Stealing my heart _

_Don't try to deny it; you know you have. You took it piece by piece with your wit, your sarcasm, your intelligence, and your compassion. And you know the funny thing? I don't want it back. I'd rather take yours, if you'll give it to me. _

_Saying I love you would be an understatement. Saying I hope you love me half as much as I love you is an even bigger understatement, but I can't think of any better words to say how I feel. So if you'd just turn around..._

The last line confused me until I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned around, and when I did, he got down on one knee, held out the ring, and said "Will you marry me?"

I couldn't say yes. My hand was over my mouth and I couldn't stop crying. I couldn't--still can't--understand why he'd want ME, but I couldn't say no, either. I managed to nod, he slid the ring onto my finger, and we hugged, kissed and laughed before heading to work.

* * *

**Let Love In **

**_Otter_**

Guess what? Theo proposed to Millicent this morning!

When she came in for work, I could tell she had been crying, but she was smiling, too. I asked her what had happened, and she held out her hand so I could see the ring. I squealed and hugged her.

"What's going on?" Molly asked, running over. Andy ran after her, asking the same question. Millicent just showed them the ring, and pretty soon we were all laughing and hugging each other. It wasn't too long before the kids heard us and ran in.

"I'm getting married," she explained.

"When?"

"I don't know yet. Soon, probably."

They all wanted to know who, so she told them about Theo, and then some of the girls wanted to know what her wedding was going to be like, so she told them what she had in mind. We didn't get classes started until almost twenty minutes later, but nobody seemed to mind.

I know I shouldn't hold it against Ron that he hasn't asked me yet, but I can't help but wonder if something is up. Is he just being chicken, or is there someone else, or what?

I guess I shouldn't overthink this, but I sort of can't help it.

* * *

**The World's Smartest Idiot**

**_Terrier_**

I can't believe it! Theo beat me to the punch!

Grr...I had it all planned. _I _was going to propose first, it would be amazingly romantic, and Mione wouldn't be able to think I was just being chicken or something. But noooo...Theo HAD to do it first, and he HAD to do something COOL!

I guess I'd better just do it before Draco beats me, too.

* * *


	48. Chapter 48

**Let Love In **

**_Otter_**

I don't get it.

Ron avoids me for a week, then asks me out on a date. I think something is up...

I'll go anyways, just to see what's going on.

* * *

**PenguinsRFun:** Okay, it's all ready.

**AurorInLove: **You mean...to ask Hermione?

**PenguinsRFun:** Yeah. It's all set. I was kind of surprised she agreed to go on a date with me.

**AurorInLove:** Why's that?

**PenguinsRFun: **She's been acting kind of weird lately...

**AurorInLove: **How so?

**PenguinsRFun:** I don't know...just...not talking very much.

**AurorInLove:** Well, if you ask her right, she'll probably stop. And from what you told me, you'll be asking her right.

**PenguinsRFun: **Thanks. I hope so.

**AurorInLove: **Good luck.

**PenguinsRFun: **Thanks.

**

* * *

**

Let Love In

_**Otter**_

I can't believe it!

Ron proposed!

It happened on our date yesterday. We met outside his apartment, then Apparated to the beach near Bill and Fleur's. He had packed a picnic, so we ate lunch, talked a bit, just normal picnic-on-the-beach stuff. It was warm out, so we even built sandcastles and splashed each other.

I almost didn't notice how late it was getting, because before I knew it, the sun was getting to set. I looked at Ron to tell him that we should probably get going, but a flash of light caught my eye. I looked down, and there was a line in the sand, glowing softly. I looked back at Ron.

"Go ahead," he said. "Follow the line."

I did, and it led me to a little patch of rock with a note, and the note said to keep following the line. It led me to a box, Ron handed me the key, and inside was another key. So I kept following the line, and I finally came to this message written in the sand that said to dig. So I dug down really deep until I came to this locked chest. I looked at Ron and he smiled and told me to go ahead, so I opened it with the key I'd found.

Inside was a ring. He took it out, got down on one knee, and proposed right then and there.

* * *

**The World's Smartest Idiot **

**_Terrier_**

Well, I finally did it.

I don't know if my plan was as cool as Harry's and Theo's were, but it made her cry, so I'm guessing that that's a good thing--especially since she said yes. (Actually, to be more specific, she started crying, hugged me, and said yes over and over as she kissed me, so I'm guessing that's a VERY good thing.)

* * *


	49. Chapter 49

**MiseryBusiness:** So I heard Ron proposed this weekend.

**GooGooDolls4Ever:** Yep. :D

**MiseryBusiness: **So how'd he do it?

**GooGooDolls4Ever:** I'll tell you at work tomorrow, it's that sweet.

**MiseryBusiness: **I can't wait. So have you set a date yet?

**GooGooDolls4Ever: **No, not yet. How about you? Have you and Theo picked a date?

**MiseryBusiness: **Nope.

**MiseryBusiness: **Hmmm...

**GooGooDolls4Ever: **What?

**MiseryBusiness: **What would you think of a double wedding?

**GooGooDolls4Ever: **You mean, you marry Theo and I marry Ron all in one ceremony?

**MiseryBusiness:** Yeah. I mean, just as a concept.

**GooGooDolls4Ever: **Hmmmm...that might be cute.

**MiseryBusiness:** And it'd probably save time and money and stuff, too. Y'know, aside from the whole ADORABLE factor.

**GooGooDolls4Ever: **Well, when we actually start planning, we'll have to ask everyone and see what they think.

**MiseryBusiness: **Yeah, I'll talk to my mum. I just thought it'd be cute.

**GooGooDolls4Ever: **Yeah. First I have to tell everyone.

**MiseryBusiness: **lol.

**

* * *

**

**KiltedStranger:** I heard you proposed to Hermione this weekend.

**PenguinsRFun: **Yep. I'll tell you how I did it later.

**KiltedStranger:** Cool!

**PenguinsRFun:** Yeah. Especially since she said yes.

**KiltedStranger: **Congrats, then!

**PenguinsRFun: **Thanks. Have you and Millie set a date yet?

**KiltedStranger: **Nope. I'm just going to let her handle most of it.

**PenguinsRFun:** Yeah, that's what Harry told me to do. I don't mind because I don't even know what I want, wedding-wise.

**KiltedStranger: **Yeah. Me neither.

**PenguinsRFun: **Yeah...I'd probably end up doing something around Quidditch, and I have a feeling that that would make Mione cry.

**KiltedStranger:** And not in a good way.

**PenguinsRFun: **No. Not in a good way.

**KiltedStranger:** Not at all.

**

* * *

**

**Just Watch My Wildest Dreams Come True **

_**Misery Business**_

Well, I've started telling everyone about me and Theo.

Mum had already guessed after reading the want ad in the _Prophet, _but that didn't make her any less elated when I told her. I just walked in and showed her the ring, and she hugged me so tight I thought I'd pop. Dad wasn't any less thrilled, and Matt was just as happy as everyone else. They all like Theo, which I guess is just another sign that marrying him is a good thing.

Teri already knew, since (as she told me later) Theo had her help him pop the question. She was really excited when I asked her to be my maid of honor, and we've already started talking about the wedding--mostly just brainstorming.

I'm so happy!

* * *

**Let Love In **

_**Otter**_

I've started telling everyone about me and Ron.

His parents were thrilled--they laughed, cried, and hugged both of us when we told them--and so was the rest of his family. I asked Ginny to be my maid of honor, which made her really happy, and Millicent and I have started talking more about a double wedding.

I'm so happy!

* * *

**Just Watch My Wildest Dreams Come True **

**_Misery Business_**

Oh crap.

I just remembered...the full moon is tomorrow. Normally this wouldn't be such a big deal--and in and of itself, it's not--aside from the overall suckyness of it all, but...I don't know.

See, I was looking at the calendar today, and I saw that the full moon is tomorrow. I already knew, but it just reminded me. At first I thought oh man, that sucks, at least it's only one night, but then I remembered that _I'm getting married soon. _And right after that I started wondering: what will Theo think? Will he mind being married to a werewolf? What if he does something stupid and accidentally lets me out and I attack him? Should I tell him we should cancel the wedding? And on and on and on, all day long.

Okay, Mill, take a deep breath...

I'll talk to Teri and see what she thinks.

* * *


	50. Chapter 50

**Just Watch My Wildest Dreams Come True **

**_Misery Business_**

I talked to Teri, and she said to just tell Theo how I feel.

So that's what I'll do, even though I wish I didn't have to.

**

* * *

**

Real Men Wear Kilts

**_Kilted Stranger_**

We've been engaged for over a month, so I thought everything was going fine. Then yesterday, she said she wanted to talk about something in person, so we met for dinner at my apartment. I didn't bring it up until halfway through the main course.

"I don't know if getting married is such a good idea," she said. She may as well have punched me in the stomach.

"What?"

She bit her lip. "Just what I said. I don't know if it's such a good idea."

"Why?" She said nothing. "Come on, just tell me."

"Because you don't know what you're getting into."

It took a minute for me to understand what she meant. "You mean...because you're a werewolf? Mill--"

"No, just listen." She drew a deep breath. "If we get married, we'll only have about a month to get used to each other before I transform again. And I know that I'll be alone when it happens, so you'll be safe, but..." She paused again, looking down at the table. "Wolfsbane helps, but it doesn't make it any easier. I'm still sick for two days. I still transform. And I still have to fight instinct."

"By instinct you mean the 'instinct' to eat people?" I was trying to lighten the mood, but that remark didn't help. She sighed and nodded. "Don't you normally lock the door, though?"

"Well, yeah, but--"

"But what? You're afraid I'll feel sorry for you or something and let you out?" I could tell that was the case, and I laughed. "Mill, I'm not _that _stupid."

"It's not just that. Theo, the only reason I have a job is because it's Molly and Andy running the place. If it was anyone else, I'd be jobless." I tried to say something but she interrupted. "People look down on me because I'm a werewolf. If you married me, they'd look down on you, too."

"Or maybe they'd _stop _looking down on _you_." She was crying, and I was about ready to start. I put my hand over hers. "You think you're doing the right thing by saying I can't marry you, right?"

"I just want you to be happy."

"Mill, there's no way I could be happy _without _you. That's why I asked you to marry me. If I wasn't ready to deal with the whole werewolf thing, I wouldn't have asked." I half-smiled. "We'll work through it, all right?" She nodded. "Is there anything else? Some heartbreakingly sexy werewolf I should know about?"

She laughed and shook her head, even though she was still crying. She stood and we hugged.

"I love you, Theo."

"I love you, too."

**

* * *

**

**KiltedStranger**: I don't get it. Why would she think I'd care?

**YouCanCallMeE: **Girls are weird that way, I guess.

**KiltedStranger: **I mean, if I cared, I wouldn't want to marry her in the first place, would I?

**YouCanCallMeE: : **That's a rhetorical question, right?

**KiltedStranger: **Yeah.

**YouCanCallMeE: **At least there wasn't another guy or something.

**KiltedStranger: **Yeah. When she said she didn't think getting married was a good idea...it REALLY freaked me out.

**YouCanCallMeE: **Yeah, I'll bet. So the wedding's still on, I take it?

**KiltedStranger: **Yep. It's still on.

**YouCanCallMeE: **When? Do you know?

**KiltedStranger: **No...we still haven't set a date or anything. She said she's going to talk with Hermione and see what date works for her and Ron, and then we'll sort of negotiate from there.

**YouCanCallMeE: **So it'll be a double wedding?

**KiltedStranger:** Yeah, that's the plan.

**YouCanCallMeE: **That should be...interesting...

**KiltedStranger: **Good interesting, I hope.

**

* * *

**

Just Watch My Wildest Dreams Come True

**_Misery Business_**

Well, I talked to Theo...and he said he doesn't care.

The wedding is still on, Mione and I are still talking about making it a double wedding, and I start crying every time I think about it.

I don't know what I did to deserve Theo, but I hope I can keep doing it...whatever it was.

* * *


	51. Chapter 51

**PenguinsRFun:** Hey Harry...panic is normal, right?

**AurorInLove: **You mean just before the wedding? Yeah, panic is normal.

**PenguinsRFun: **Okay. So...I shouldn't call it off?

**AurorInLove: **No.

**PenguinsRFun: **Okay.

**AurorInLove: **Relax. It'll be fine.

**PenguinsRFun:** You sure?

**AurorInLove: **Positive. And you still have...what? A month?

**PenguinsRFun: **I think so...I'm still not totally sure what the exact date is...

**AurorInLove: **Well, find out. It'll help, trust me.

**PenguinsRFun: **Okay.

**

* * *

**

Happily Married Chaser

**_Horse Luver 14_**

The wedding is coming up in about a month.

Once again, I got about a week away from the Harpies; they wouldn't give me more than that. I'm seriously thinking about leaving the team, since I miss Harry and Harry misses me and they're starting to get really anal about me taking all these vacations. I still haven't talked to Harry about it, but I probably should pretty soon...like when I'm home for the wedding.

The wedding should be really nice--and cute, given that it's a double wedding. I'm really excited for it, even though it'll be the third wedding I've been in, including my own. You just HAVE to get excited about weddings. It's a rule.

**

* * *

**

**KiltedStranger:** Can you believe that in three weeks, we'll both be married?

**PenguinsRFun:** Stop freaking me out.

**KiltedStranger:** Yeah...I know what you mean...

**PenguinsRFun: **...did you have a dream last night about getting left at the altar?

**KiltedStranger: **Actually, yes. Did Hermione leave you for an uber-hot werewolf?

**PenguinsRFun: **No...she left me for Draco.

**KiltedStranger: **o.0

**PenguinsRFun:** Well, you remember how they dated during our sixth year, right?

**KiltedStranger:** Who doesn't? Slytherin almost imploded!

**PenguinsRFun: **Yeah...well, I thought I'd gotten past all that, but then last night I had that dream, and...yeah.

**KiltedStranger: **I know what you mean. Even though she said there's not another guy or anything, it still freaked me out. I mean, this werewolf was HOT!

**PenguinsRFun: **lol!

**KiltedStranger: **I half-expected him to start singing "I'm Too Sexy."

**PenguinsRFun: **o.0

**KiltedStranger: **Yeah, that's what I did when I woke up.

**

* * *

**

**MiseryBusiness:** Woah...I just realized...I've only got two more weeks as Millicent Bullstrode.

**GooGooDolls4Ever: **Weird, isn't it?

**MiseryBusiness: **Yeah...I feel like I should...I dunno...go out and enjoy it or something.

**GooGooDolls4Ever: **lol! How?

**MiseryBusiness: **I don't know...throw a "Last Chance to Meet Millicent Bullstrode" party or something.

**GooGooDolls4Ever: **lol!

**MiseryBusiness: **At least Millicent Nott is a cute name.

**GooGooDolls4Ever: **I like Hermione Weasley better.

**MiseryBusiness: **lol. That's cute, too.

**GooGooDolls4Ever: **I'm really excited.

**MiseryBusiness: **Me too. Nervous, though.

**GooGooDolls4Ever: **Yeah...

**

* * *

**

Changing the World through Witch Weekly

**_Pressing On_**

It's so weird.

Everyone I know--all of my closest friends, anyway--are either married or getting married.

I'm happy for them and all--and I'm excited for the wedding--but it's just weird, still being single.

* * *


	52. Chapter 52

**Happily Married Chaser**

**_Horse Luver 14_**

Well, I finally talked to Harry about leaving the Harpies.

I brought it up today--the second day I was home--because I wanted to make sure we got the chance to discuss it while I was still home. So I asked him what he would think if I left the team.

"It'd be nice to have you home," he said after thinking it over for a minute.

"So...you think I should?"

"Do you _want _to?"

I thought about that for a minute, weighing the pros and cons. The only con I could think of was that I love Quidditch and wouldn't be playing it professionally anymore. "Yeah," I finally said. "I do."

**

* * *

**

**Loony: **You're leaving the Harpies?

**HorseLuver14:** Unless something changes my mind in the next few weeks, yeah.

**Loony: **When?

**HorseLuver14: **After we find out whether or not we're playing at the Quidditch Cup this year.

**PressingOn: **Didn't you say before that that doesn't look likely?

**HorseLuver14: **Yeah. So I'll probably have left by spring next year--at the very latest.

**KiltedStranger**: Well, if you need a job, I've heard people down at the Prophet complaining that we don't have a decent Quidditch correspondent, so if you wanted to apply...

**HorseLuver14: **All right. Thanks. I'll definitely think about it.

**Loony: **It'll be nice having you home.

**HorseLuver14: **It'll be nice being home.

**

* * *

**

I'm Loopy

**_Loony_**

It's so weird--all of my friends are getting married. First Harry and Ginny, now Ron and Hermione AND Theo and Millicent...and if the way Teri and Draco talk about each other is any clue, they're probably next.

Neville hasn't proposed yet. And the funny thing is, I'm not sure I want him to. I like him--I like him a lot--but I can't imagine spending the rest of my life with him. I don't know why.

I'm happy for everyone else, though.

**

* * *

**

The World's Smartest Idiot

**_Terrier_**

I'm getting married tomorrow.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!

Okay, meltdown over...

...sort of.

**

* * *

**

Real Men Wear Kilts

**_Kilted Stranger_**

Ugh.

I'm getting married in nine hours and twenty-seven minutes, and I can't sleep. Why, you ask?

I just woke up from a dream...about the wedding, of course...where Millie left me for YKW.

Utterly ridiculous? Absolutely. Not to mention implausible, since he's DEAD, but I still can't get back to sleep.

Wonder if Ron is on...

**

* * *

**

**KiltedStranger:** Ron? You awake?

**PenguinsRFun: **Yep.

**KiltedStranger: **Couldn't sleep, either?

**PenguinsRFun: **Duh.

**KiltedStranger: **Quick question...can you not sleep because you had a dream that Hermione left you for Phil?

**PenguinsRFun: **No...in my dream, she left me for Lucius Malfoy.

**KiltedStranger: **...that's really creepy, Ron.

**PenguinsRFun: **Isn't it?

**KiltedStranger: **I can't decide which dream is weirder--yours or mine.

**PenguinsRFun:** Well, Phil is dead, so I guess yours is weirder.

**KiltedStranger: **Well, I don't know about that...there's this group on the Internet that is convinced that Phil did NOT die but actually went into hiding in the US as Michael Jackson.

**PenguinsRFun: **Really?

**KiltedStranger: **Yeah. They think that he just took a Portkey or something to California, put on a wig, grew a little stubble...

**PenguinsRFun: **Then how do they explain the REAL Michael Jackson?

**KiltedStranger: **I don't think they'd appreciate you dragging logic into this...

**PenguinsRFun:** lol. Probably not.

**KiltedStranger: **They DO look a lot alike.

**PenguinsRFun: **Don't they? It's kind of creepy, actually...

**KiltedStranger: **And they both have high-pitched girly voices.

**PenguinsRFun: **Really?

**KiltedStranger: **Yeah. I heard a recording of Michael Jackson's voice. It's kind of scary. You shouldn't listen to it at night.

**PenguinsRFun: **Maybe that's another reason why you can't get to sleep.

**KiltedStranger:** lol. Maybe.

**PenguinsRFun:** Well...this is weird...

**KiltedStranger: **What is?

**PenguinsRFun: **We have less than nine hours before the wedding, and here we are talking about Michael Jackson.

**KiltedStranger:** That IS weird...

**PenguinsRFun:** We should probably get some sleep.

**KiltedStranger:** That's probably a good idea.

**PenguinsRFun:** Night, then.

**KiltedStranger:** Night.

* * *


	53. Chapter 53

**AurorInLove: **Hey, Teri? Do you know of any good coffee shops nearby?

**PressingOn: **There's one on Charing Cross Road...why do you ask?

**AurorInLove: **Any others? I'm pretty sure that shop has a giant poster of me, Ron and Hermione captioned "The Accursed Ones," so if I walked in, they'd probably kick me out.

**PressingOn:** Am I right to assume that there's an interesting story there?

**AurorInLove:** Yes. So, anyways...coffee shops?

**PressingOn:** There's one not too far from my parents' house. You know where that is, right?

**AurorInLove: **Yeah.

**PressingOn:** Okay. Just take the road into town and you'll hit it.

**AurorInLove:** Okay. Thanks, Teri.

**PressingOn:** Why do you need coffee again?

**AurorInLove: **Ron and Theo were up all night worrying about the wedding and discussing Michael Jackson online.

**PressingOn: **o.0

**AurorInLove: **Yeah...don't tell Mione and Millie, okay?

**PressingOn:** I'll wait until after the honeymoon.

**AurorInLove: **lol. Thanks again.

**PressingOn: **np.

**

* * *

**

Changing the World through Witch Weekly

**_Pressing On_**

Well, the wedding was today.

Before the wedding, Harry IMed me, asking if I knew of any good coffee shops because apparently, Theo and Ron stayed up all night worrying and talking about Michael Jackson online.

O_...kay_...

As the two maids of honor, Ginny and I were sort of in charge of helping Hermione and Millicent get ready. And by "help them get ready," I mean "keep them from overthinking everything and going insane." For example, the dress.

We had all gone dress shopping together--me, Ginny, Hermione, Millicent, and their mums--a few days before, and had found what we knew were the perfect ones. They were both floor-legnth; Hermione's was strapless, with a poofy skirt covered in lace, and Millicent's had a semi-poofy skirt and little tiny sleeves that were more like little ruffles that barely covered her shoulders. They both tried them on several hours before the wedding "to make sure we don't need any last-minute adjustments or anything." They didn't, but Millicent spent ten minutes trying to make the tiny sleeve cover her bitten shoulder before Ginny pointed out that after the wedding Theo would see it anyway, so there wasn't really any point in trying to hide it now.

The dresses were just the tip of the iceberg. They second-guessed _everything, _from the cakes to the flowers to the color scheme. We kept telling them that red, orange and gold were pretty colors and went well with the fall theme, and I think they almost believed us.

After what seemed like forever, the wedding rolled around. Ginny and I took our places on stage and watched the ceremony unfold. I could tell that Ron and Theo were both nervous, and neither looked like they slept very well. Harry and I grinned at each other, and I winked.

The rest of the ceremony went by without incident. Nobody forgot their lines (like Harry did at his wedding; but that's okay because we all forgave him), and there weren't any other disasters, either. Both Hermione's and Millicent's parents cried, and when the minister said "You may kiss the bride," both couples kept kissing a little longer than I'm sure everyone expected.

When the ceremony was over, both couples looked happy--and the guys both looked relieved.

"Just 'cause it's over and nothing went wrong," Harry told me later. "It's kind of a guy thing."

**

* * *

**

Diary of an Auror

**_Stag_**

The wedding was today.

Draco and I went over to help Ron and Theo get ready--and found them looking like they hadn't slept at all.

"What happened to you?" Draco said.

"Couldn't sleep last night," Theo said.

"Worrying?"

Ron and Theo grinned. "Sort of."

"Mostly."

"Mostly?"

"Um, we couldn't get to sleep, so we talked about Michael Jackson online."

Draco and I just looked at each other, then I sighed.

"I'll go get some coffee. Know of any good places?"

Nobody did, so I got online, asked Teri, went out, and got some coffee. My theory worked: the combination of caffeine and sugar woke them up right away.

"It could've been worse," Draco said when they were out of earshot. "They could've been drunk or something."

Given that, the day went well. It went well period, but that's sort of beside the point. Neither Ron or Theo were quite as nervous as I was, but then again I guess nervousness is part of what makes getting married so much fun.

Nobody forgot their lines this time, but I did overhear an interesting conversation in the bathroom during the reception:

RON: That went well.

THEO: Yeah. Millie didn't leave me for Phil.

RON: And Lucius Malfoy didn't even show up.

THEO: That's probably a good thing.

RON: Yeah.

An inside joke would be my guess.

* * *


	54. Chapter 54

**PressingOn: **So....how is Mrs. Hermione Weasley?

**GooGooDolls4Ever: **Fantabulous. And you?

**PressingOn:** Fantabulous?

**GooGooDolls4Ever: **Yes. Fantabulous.

**PressingOn: **lol.

**GooGooDolls4Ever: **I have the man of my dreams and cute name! How could things get any better?

**PressingOn:** lol. Hermione Weasley IS a cute name....better than, say, Hermione Picklesmeyer.

**GooGooDolls4Ever:** o.0 That would really suck....

**PressingOn:** Yeah. I once knew a girl named Candle Light, BTW.

**GooGooDolls4Ever:** Poor girl. What were her parents thinking?

**PressingOn: **I don't think they were. I also had a friend who knew a girl named Polly Esther Slack.

**GooGooDolls4Ever:** Those poor people....

**PressingOn:** Yeah. Totally.

* * *

**Just Watch My Wildest Dreams Come True **

**_Misery Business_**

One of the worst parts about being a werewolf is that it happens EVERY MONTH.

I wish I could just take a month off or something....you know, so I'd have another month with Theo before having to transform again.

Ugh.

* * *

**Just Watch My Wildest Dreams Come True **

**_Misery Business_**

Well, the day before yesterday was the full moon...and it wasn't all that bad.

It went pretty much the same as normal: start feeling sick around 10 AM, feel worse as the day goes on, transform at night, spend the next day recovering. Theo went to work as usual, and I stayed home.

When he got home from work, he made me some tea and then sat and talked with me until the sun started to set and the cramping started. He helped me into the spare room, closed the door, and left.

When morning came, he knocked on the door, unlocked it, came in and kissed my cheek.

"Morning," he said. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired."

He helped me into our bedroom and into bed, then left, returning with a mug of hot cocoa. I hadn't really noticed until then that he was still in his pajamas. "Aren't you going to work?"

"Nope. I already owled my story for today. Told them my wife was sick and I wanted to stay home with her."

I smiled. "That's really sweet."

He shrugged. "I just thought you might like some company."

And that's how it went for the rest of the day. If I needed something, Theo brought it--sometimes before I asked. If I needed to sleep, he left me alone. By the time night fell, I was feeling much better--and happier than I've ever felt after transforming.

**

* * *

**

Real Men Wear Kilts

**_Kilted Stranger_**

The day before yesterday was the full moon--our first full moon as a married couple.

I couldn't take both days--the day of and the day before--off, so I asked Millie which day was worse. "The day after, hands down," she said, so that was the day I stayed home.

I got her whatever she needed--tea, soup, a teddy bear...whatever. I could tell it made her happy, which was why I'd stayed home in the first place--to make her happy.

When night fell and I got into bed, she looked far better than she had that morning. I kissed her, and she wrapped her arms around me and held me close.

"I love you," she said.

I turned so I could see her face and kissed her again. "I love you too."

* * *


	55. Chapter 55

**The Invisible Man **

**_Falcon_**

Okay, I've just about got the plan finished. (Remember the "incredibly vague idea" I told Aunt Andy about? Yeah...it's not so vague anymore.)

Harry already did it on Christmas Eve, and Theo and Ron both did it in early spring, so I think her birthday would be a nice time to put my plan into action. All I have to do now is get her out of her apartment long enough to set everything up--and make sure nobody drops any hints.

Here's hoping this works.

**

* * *

**

**MiseryBusiness:** You're FINALLY going to ask her?

**YouCanCallMeE: **Yeah.

**MiseryBusiness:** YAY!

**YouCanCallMeE: **Yeah.....um, I'll need your help with this. Make sure she doesn't go into her apartment on her birthday, okay?

**MiseryBusiness: **Okay....how?

**YouCanCallMeE:** Doesn't matter. Tell her there's a kitten up a tree, or that she's being stalked by that creepy Muggle who always stands at that corner near St. Mungo's selling soap and needs to stay with you and Theo for a few days.  

**MiseryBusiness:** There's a creepy Muggle near St. Mungo's who sells soap?

**YouCanCallMeE:** Yeah....he tried to sell me some one day. It doesn't smell too bad, actually.

**MiseryBusiness:** Huh. I did not know that.

**YouCanCallMeE:** Yeah....so....you'll do it?

**MiseryBusiness:** Of course!

**YouCanCallMeE: **Sweet. Thanks, Mill.

**MiseryBusiness: **np.

* * *

**Let Love In**

**_Otter_**

Draco is finally proposing to Teri! Not only that, but apparently there's a creepy Muggle near St. Mungo's who sells soap.

I overheard Millie telling Andy and Molly about it during lunch today--how Draco had asked her to keep Teri busy on her birthday so he could get into her apartment and set it all up. Molly was excited and Andy looked ready to dance when they heard, so I volunteered to help. They both volunteered, too, so it looks like we're all going to have to figure out a way to keep Teri busy on her birthday.

It shouldn't be too hard. We've already got a plan, and if that fails, shiny things are always a nice distraction.

**

* * *

**

The World's Smartest Idiot

**_Terrier_**

Well, Hermione just told me about how Draco is planning to pop the question on Teri's birthday, and I told Harry and Theo. Mum, Andy and Millie already knew, so Mum told Dad. Somehow the twins found out about it, so now it looks like everyone knows exept for Teri.

Here's hoping everyone can keep a secret.

* * *


	56. Chapter 56

**The Invisible Man**

**_Falcon_**

Well, today is the day.

I've gotten everything ready, and Mione said they have a plan to keep Teri busy until it's all ready--probably late evening, since I have to work.

Here's hoping she likes her birthday present.

**

* * *

**

Changing the World through Witch Weekly

**_Pressing On_**

Today was my twentieth birthday....and Draco proposed!

It was a weekday, so I had to go into work. I worked on my column and a few features, just normal _Witch Weekly _stuff, then headed home in the afternoon. But before I got to my apartment, Millie showed up out of nowhere and told me to follow her, that I just _had _to see something.

We went into Fred and George's shop, where they showed off some of their new fireworks and several trick wands--one that farts, one that turns into a stick figure (get it? stick?) and dances, and one that jumped out of my hand and spelled "Happy Birthday" with ribbons. It was fun, but I kind of wanted to go home. However, Hermione decided that right then was a good time to tell me she had plans for dinner, since it was my birthday and all.

"Mind if I go back and change first?" I said.

"Oh, just come on," she said, grabbing my arm and steering me into a restaurant. "You look fine."

Dinner was nice, and so were the presents they got me. By the time it was over, I had forgotten about going home--which is good, because they wouldn't let me. We sat talking for a while, then walked around, then went outside and made snow angels.

"I should probably be getting back," Millie finally said, and everyone else agreed.

"You should, too," Mione said, smiling slightly.

"Why?"

"Just because it's late and you need to be getting back."

I was smiling now. I like to think I was catching on. "Why? Why now? What's going on?"

"You'll see."

By the time I got back to my apartment, it was dark and it had started to snow again. The minute I stepped inside my apartment, I knew something was up--partly because it was warm and it smelled like cake, and partly because "Let Love In" started playing as soon as my foot hit the floor. It kept playing in the background the entire time.

I walked inside, and something tapped me on the shoulder. I looked up and saw what looked like a lightning bug, leading me into the kitchen. So I followed it. On the counter was a birthday cake with a note, written in Draco's handwriting.

_Happy birthday. _

The next thing was a candle. _You light up my life. _

After that was the bathroom mirror_. You're so beautiful, _the note said. _When you wake up, I want to be the first one to tell you so, instead of letting the mirror do it._

Around then I think I started to realize what he was going to do, but I kept going because I wanted to see what else he did--and I also wanted to see if I was right. The next thing I saw was a vase full of daisies--my favorite kind of flower. _I know you like these, but it seems like kind of a pathetic birthday present. I want to give you more. _

The final thing was a copy of the _Prophet _from five years ago--the day Phil was defeated--carrying the headline "He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named Defeated, War Over." _The end of fear is where we begin, _the note said. _The fear is over, but you and I have just started. _

Something touched my shoulder and I turned around. Draco was on one knee, holding out the ring, and I was crying so hard I could only nod.

* * *


	57. Chapter 57

**GooGooDolls4Ever:** You're doing WHAT?

**YouCanCallMeE: **Writing to my dad and telling him I'm getting married.

**KiltedStranger: **....That's brave....

**PenguinsRFun: **Or stupid.

**YouCanCallMeE:** Not helping, Ron.

**PenguinsRFun:** Sorry.

**YouCanCallMeE:** Yeah. I figured that since this is sort of a once-in-a-lifetime thing and I haven't talked to him in five years, I should probably...y'know, break the cycle.

**KiltedStranger:** Okay then.

**YouCanCallMeE: **And since he's never getting out, I figured it might be nice to let him know what's going on.

**GooGooDolls4Ever: **....wow.....

**YouCanCallMeE:** Wow what?

**GooGooDolls4Ever: **I'm just picturing his face when he hears that you're marrying a Muggleborn.

**YouCanCallMeE: **Yeah.....I'm just glad I don't have to see it.

* * *

**AurorInLove:** You told them?

**HorseLuver14: **Yep.

**AurorInLove:** How'd they take it?

**HorseLuver14:** Not too well. I mean, they understood and all, but they weren't all that happy about it.

**AurorInLove:** Probably because you're a good Chaser.

**HorseLuver14:** lol. Probably.

**AurorInLove:** At least you'll be coming home.

**HorseLuver14:** Yep. :D Can't wait to see you again.

**AurorInLove:** Me neither.

**HorseLuver14:** Yeah...so I'll be back probably by the end of the month.

**AurorInLove: **Sweet!

**HorseLuver14:** Totally.

**

* * *

**

**The Invisible Man **

_**Falcon**_

So.....I finally wrote Dad.

I'm pretty sure he'll be able to write back, but I'm just glad you can't send Howlers from Azkaban.

Here's what it said:

_Dear Dad, _

_Hey. It's me, Draco. Sorry I haven't written in a while....life's just been hectic. No, I'm not lying. _

_After the war, I got a job at St. Mungo's as a Healer. They said they needed someone who's good with potions and knows a lot about the Dark Arts, but doesn't feel inclined to practice them. Namely, me. They're talking about forming a separate Dark Arts Department with me as the head. _

_Over the past few years, all of my friends have gotten married. Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley were first, then Theo and Millicent Bullstrode, then Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. I guess now it's my turn, so this winter, I'm marrying a girl named Asteria (Teri) Greengrass. (If you don't recognize the surname, it's because she's Muggleborn.) _

_She's really sweet, Dad. Sweet and fun and cute, with a sort of quirky sense of humor, which I love. _

_Write back if you can. _

_Sincerely, _

_Draco _

Let's see how he takes that.

_

* * *

_

Edit: I added this author's note after someone suggested I let you guys hear Lucius' thoughts on Draco's letter--in other words, briefly switch from all-blog to part-blog so I can write some passages in blog form and others in regular, third-person story form. I've been considering this for a while, but haven't done it yet because I was curious about what you guys would think.

_In light of this, I have added a new poll to my profile. Go there and vote. I'll post a new chapter in few days (probably) but won't tell you how Lucius took the news until I get a decent number of votes. (Of course, if you want to leave your opinion in a review, that's fine, too.) _


	58. Chapter 58

_First of all, I'd like to thank you all for voting. Your opinions were very helpful. Now, for the decision. _

_I've decided not to switch--yet. I might switch later on, if this story gets too complicated and I feel like I need to write parts of it in regular story form because the characters couldn't possibly bring themselves to write about the events in their blogs (like if they get too busy, or somebody dies, or I need to show what's going on outside the blog). But for now, I think I can get Lucius' thoughts across without switching to his POV. (Keep in mind that this might change; I might show his thoughts later on.) _

* * *

**The Invisible Man **

**_Falcon_**

Um....

Well....it's been a week since I first sent that letter, and....well, the good news is that Dad wrote back and we actually got a conversation going. The bad news is that it's an argument.

Here's what he wrote:

_Draco,_

_I had to read your letter several times--not only because your handwriting has gotten worse and nearly illegible, but because I thought you said you were marrying a Mudblood. _

_Is this true? _

_Lucius Malfoy_

So I wrote back.

_Dear Dad, _

_First of all, what does my handwriting have to do with ANYTHING? (And for your information, all Healers have bad handwriting. It keeps people from forging their signatures.) _

_Second, yes, I am marrying a Muggleborn. If you met her, I'm sure you'd like her. _

_Draco _

Here's what I got in response:

_Draco, _

_HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND?! _

_Lucius Malfoy_

There was really only one way to answer that one:

_Dad, _

_No. Have you? _

_Draco _

**

* * *

**

The Invisible Man

**_Falcon_**

Okay....

So....I got another letter from Dad.

_Draco,_

_I still have enough of it left to tell that you've completely lost yours. Marrying a Mudblood? What the hell are you thinking? Are you thinking at all? _

_This family has been pure for centuries. I will not have you ruin it because of some blind infatuation with a Muggle whore. _

_Lucius Malfoy_

Here's what I said:

_Dad, _

_Are YOU thinking at all? That's my future wife you're talking about, calling her a whore. If someone said that about Mum, they'd be dead. _

_And for your information, she's not a Muggle. She's a talented witch whose parents happen to be Muggles._

_Draco _

He wrote back:

_Draco,_

_Those are some rather strong words, coming from the person who caused her death in the first place. _

_Lucius Malfoy_

My turn:

_Dad, _

_I didn't kill her. It was the Dark Lord who killed her. _

_I miss her just as much as you do, but I've come to realize that taking it out on the only family I have left won't bring her back. _

_Draco _

Dad again:

_Draco,_

_And that's not what you're doing? Sending me to Azkaban and ignoring me for five years has no connection to some pathetic vendetta you have? _

_Lucius Malfoy_

Then me:

_Dad, _

_Oh, so now YOU'RE mad at ME for not getting myself in trouble while covering your ass? That's what I've always done, isn't it? Join the Dark Lord, cover your ass, serve the Dark Lord, cover your ass....there's no way you'll cover your own! _

_Draco _

Dad again:

_Draco,_

_Taking the Mark was your decision, and there is no way I'm going to let you blame it on me--just like it was your decision to do something so monumentally STUPID as turn traitor. _

_I will not be your scapegoat. _

_Lucius Malfoy_

Then me:

_Dad, _

_You want to know why I joined in the first place? YOU were in Azkaban, Mum was a basket case, and if I didn't do something we all would've been in a lot more trouble than we already were. Don't make me the scapegoat for all the stupid stuff you did that I had to cover for. _

_Draco _

He hasn't written back yet. Just the same, there is no way I'm showing those letters to Teri--or anyone else.

* * *

**YouCanCallMeE:** Grrrr....

**OSaneOne: **Not going well, I take it?

**YouCanCallMeE: **No.

**OSaneOne:** What happened?

**YouCanCallMeE:** Basically, he called Teri a whore, and then he started in on the whole "It's your fault Mum is dead" thing, and it just kind of snowballed from there.

**OSaneOne: **He called Teri a whore?

**YouCanCallMeE: **Yeah. Because she's Muggleborn. And then he started up on the whole "You put me in Azkaban" thing, so I told him that I was sick of covering his ass all the time.....

**OSaneOne:** Is that how you put it?

**YouCanCallMeE: **Pretty much, yeah.

**YouCanCallMeE: **Aunt Andy? You still there?

**OSaneOne: **I'm still here.

**OSaneOne: **Look. I'm not about to say you're entirely at fault--he was the one who got you into that mess in the first place--but he's not about to apologize. So you're the one who has to take the first step at reconciliation.

**YouCanCallMeE:** Why me?

**OSaneOne:** Because he's not going to.

**YouCanCallMeE:** Okay....how do I do that?

**OSaneOne:** Write back and tell him everything. Tell him why you did the things you did.

**YouCanCallMeE:** And that'll help?

**OSaneOne: **Just tell it to him the way you told me. Make him understand.

**OSaneOne:** Draco? Are you still there?

**YouCanCallMeE: **I'm still here.

**OSaneOne: **Are you going to do it?

**YouCanCallMeE:** Yeah. I'll do it.

**OSaneOne:** Good. You won't regret it. I promise.

**YouCanCallMeE**: I hope not.

* * *


	59. Chapter 59

_I know I might have spelled Rodolphus' name wrong, but seriously, who cares? Nobody, that's who. Even Bellatrix ignored him most of the time. _

**

* * *

**

I'm Sane. Deal With It.

**_O Sane One_**

Well, Draco wrote to his father and told him who he's marrying....and of course, Lucius Malfoy was less than pleased. Apparently, he called Teri a whore.

Now, Lucius has never been my favorite person. The only brother-in-law I hated more was Rodolphus Lestrange. So I'm just hoping he can pull his head out of his rear long enough to read Draco's letter/confession that he should be sending soon (provided he doesn't chicken out) and see that "Oh, he really DID have some good reasons for doing what he did and wow, he's a lot smarter than I was." (Not that that's what I'm expecting him to do, but I can dream, can't I?)

**

* * *

**

The Invisible Man

**_Falcon_**

It took me two weeks to work up the courage to write Dad and tell him why I did what I did, but I finally sent it off today. Here's what it said:

_Dad, _

_I know you're probably still mad at me, which I'm guessing is your reason for not writing me back. But I talked to Aunt Andy (Andromeda Tonks, Mum's sister) and she said that I should tell you the truth about why I did the things I did during the war. So here goes. _

_You already knew that I joined the Dark Lord while you were in Azkaban. I didn't want to, but I did it anyway, because I was the only one who had the power to do something to get us out of that mess, and I figured that if I proved to the DL that you could at least raise someone loyal, he'd leave you and Mum alone. _

_He told me to kill Dumbledore, and threatened to kill you and Mum if I didn't do it. Like I said before, I didn't want to--not only because I didn't think I could, but because I had overheard some of the other students talking about what a jerk I was. Now, I know what you're thinking: Who cares? Half of them were Mudbloods and they all suck anyways. _I _cared. I had gone through the first few years of Hogwarts thinking I was cool, and then when I suddenly found out that most everyone outside of Slytherin hated me....well, it was a pretty hard fall. _

_I got depressed, and Pansy dumped me. That would've been even worse if Ron hadn't given Hermione the finger (figuratively speaking) and gone out with another girl. Hermione and I ran into each other, and I got the crazy idea that we should start fake-dating--pretending to go out with each other to make Ron and Pansy jealous. It sort of backfired on me, but Hermione and I became friends because of it. _

_Still, it didn't change anything. My plan had been to fix the Vanishing Cupboard and smuggle the others into Hogwarts that way, but I started thinking I couldn't do it. I knew YKW (You-Know-Who) would kill all three of us if I couldn't do what he'd told me to do, so I went to Plan B and then Plan C. They both backfired. Katie Bell (a Gryffindor) got hurt and put in the hospital, and Ron almost died. That would've been the last straw if it weren't for Hermione. _

_See, when Ron got poisoned, Hermione turned to me for comfort. You can't imagine how awful that was, knowing I was the one who poisoned him in the first place. I hated myself. I knew it was my fault, and I knew that if I didn't do something, more people would end up getting hurt because of me. So I planned to kill myself that night. _

_But when the moment of truth came, I couldn't do it. It's....it's kind of hard to explain. I kept thinking of Hermione and what she'd think when she woke up to find me dead. I thought of Mum and what she'd do. Honestly, I didn't know, and I couldn't die not knowing. So I chickened out, but I kept toying with the idea. I started thinking it might be the only way out. _

_I guess it all came to a head about a month later, when I still hadn't made any progress on the Cupboard. I was in one of the bathrooms, talking to Myrtle (the bathroom ghost) and....I guess I started having a nervous breakdown or something, because I was crying and trying to tell Myrtle what was going on and not making much sense, and she was trying to help but not doing much good. That's when Harry showed up. I was so upset and confused that I almost used an Unforgiveable on him, but he struck first with another curse. I ended up in the hospital wing. _

_Hermione came to visit me. She'd seen Myrtle first, and I guess Myrtle had told her what I'd said--how I couldn't do it, so I should just kill myself before YKW had the chance--because she kept asking me why. So I told her why, told her about joining YKW, told her everything. She left crying. _

_I felt even worse after that, but what I didn't know is that after my confession, she repeated it to the Order and the Order did everything they could to save my life. Ironic, isn't it? That when I didn't care about my own life, a Muggleborn did? I still can't get over it. _

_Their original plan, whatever it was, didn't work, so after Snape killed Dumbledore, Hermione contacted me over a secret blog I'd made and told me that the Order wanted to meet with me. So I did, and I became a traitor. _

_So that's my story. I'm not looking for your pity. I'm not angling for an apology. I don't even care if you write back. I just want you to understand. _

_Draco _

* * *


	60. Chapter 60

**Diary of an Auror**

**_Stag_**

Ginny's coming home in a few days....

...and I think I finally know why girls scream like that when they're excited. Not that I'm going to do that--I like my sense of hearing--but I think I finally understand.

* * *

**Real Men Wear Kilts**

**_Kilted Stranger_**

So....

For the past few months we've been married, I've been staying home with Millie during the full moon. I'll just finish my stories early and send them in with a note that one of us is sick. And it's worked out pretty well--until today, when Erin said she wanted to talk to me.

"You seem to get sick a lot," she said. "Both of you."

"Yeah....just some nasty bug, I guess. Why? Is it not working or something--my sending in stories early?"

"No, no, it's working....I was just wondering why you skip work so much."

"I don't go out and party, if that's what you mean."

"All right, just wondering." She looked at me kind of funny, then turned and looked at the calendar. "You'll be needing next Thursday off, right?"

"Um....I don't know....I might."

"Seems to me your 'sick days' are always about a month apart."

I shrugged, hoping she'd guess something totally different than what she was about to guess. "Maybe. I....I really haven't counted."

Erin put the calendar down on her desk. "Okay, Theo, which one of you is it?"

"Which one of us is what?"

"A werewolf. It's your wife, isn't it?"

"Uh....."

She was smiling now--not an I-just-won-and-now-you're-fired smile, but more of an I-figured-it-out-I'm-so-smart smile--and she sat back in her chair and laughed triumphantly. "I _knew_ it!"

I just stared.

"Theo, you should've told me you wanted to stay home with her in the first place. I would've said yes."

"You....ah....how did you know?"

"Oh, come on. I'm not a complete idiot. That, and I knew a werewolf once. He had to skip work on the full moon, too. And from the way you talk about her....well, it didn't take long to put the pieces together."

I felt relieved, though still a little confused. "Wait....so....I can skip work....and stay home with her?"

"Of course." She smiled again. "Any guy who wants to stay home and pamper his wife is free to do so in my book."

I could smile again, so I did, then thanked her profusely. "I'll get my stories for Thursday done early."

She laughed. "All right. Just be careful. If any of the girls in the office hear about this--"

"There might be trouble?"

"Well, I was going to say that they might follow you around more, but if you don't like the thought of that, then yes."

I grinned, then ducked out of her office.

* * *


	61. Chapter 61

**Changing the World through Witch Weekly**

**_Pressing On_**

The weirdest thing happened today.

A few weeks ago, in one of the little notes I usually put at the bottom of my column (usually just random stuff; my editor loves it; says it makes it seem like the column is more of a conversation with the readers than me giving them advice) I said that my boyfriend had proposed, that I was really excited about it, etc. I was going through my mail, looking at letters I could use in my column, when I came across one that asked me who I was getting married to. I might've tossed it aside if I didn't come across three more asking the same thing. So in the next column, I told them who.

That unleashed a flood of letters. I guess Draco is pretty famous without really knowing it (since he doesn't have a ton of people coming to his house and asking to take his picture or anything). After answering the usual serious questions for the column, I asked my editor the question that so many of the letters had asked: Can Draco write a guest column?

I expected her to say no, or "Let me think about it," or even maybe. I didn't expect her to get all exicted and say yes, absolutely. "Ask him if he wants to do it, and if so, it'll run alongside yours."

So that's what I'm going to do.

* * *

**PressingOn: **Hey Drake? Um, I have a question....

**YouCanCallMeE:** What is it?

**PressingOn:** Do you have the time/desire to write a guest column for WW where you answer questions from people you've never met?

**YouCanCallMeE:** Um....

**PressingOn:** If you don't want to, you can say no.

**YouCanCallMeE:** I do want to, I just don't know if I'll have a ton of time for it.

**PressingOn:** You don't have to answer them in depth, and most of them will probably be "What's your favorite color?" And we can hold off on it for a while until you get it written. My editor didn't exactly give me a deadline.

**YouCanCallMeE:** Hmmm.....okay. Sounds fun.

**PressingOn: **Yay!

**YouCanCallMeE: **:D You're so cute.

* * *

**The Invisible Man**

**_Falcon_**

So....Teri asked me if I could do a guest column for _Witch Weekly. _(I guess that her telling everyone that we were getting married made a lot of people wonder what my favorite color is. Go figure.)

So I'll look through some of the letters she gets after this week's issue comes out, pick the ones I like, and answer them after work and on weekends.

This could get interesting.

* * *

_Question: I thought _Witch Weekly _was a girl magazine. Why does Draco read it?_

_Answer: He only reads Teri's column. She's his fiance, for crying out loud! _


	62. Chapter 62

**The Invisible Man**

**_Falcon_**

I've started sifting through the mail Teri got for me....and some of it is kind of funny. She said her editor told her to tell me to keep it kind of light, so I've picked out a few questions that are kind of funny. Some of them I've just thrown away, like the 8,000,000,000 asking me why I turned traitor/joined YKW in the first place, which actually made it easier to find the ones I like.

Well, maybe I'll answer one of those 8,000,000,000 letters....but I'll keep it short.

* * *

**Changing the World through Witch Weekly**

**_Pressing On_**

Draco finally finished his guest column. It went to press today, and I think my editor almost died laughing.

I'll post it here because it's just that good. All questions are in bold.

_**Ask Draco**_

_Hey everyone...I'm Draco Malfoy, Teri's fiance. She asked me to do a guest column, and frankly, I didn't expect so many letters. The fact that so many people wanted to know what my favorite color is was kind of creepy. _

**_What is your middle name? --Natasha S._**

_Quivners.  
__Just kidding. It's Alexander. _

**_What is your favorite color? Angela H. _**

_Twelve. _

**_I have a friend who went to school with you, and she said you were rather good-looking. Is this true, or is she just trying to make me jealous?--Liz_**

_I brought sexy back.  
And I probably don't know your friend, unless your friend is a certain ex-girlfriend of mine, in which case I would have to wonder why you're friends with her. She's sort of mean, and she's also sort of in Azkaban.  
Yeah....I don't want to talk about it. I was really, really lucky to find Teri, let's leave it at that. _

**_Do you like the song "Welcome to the Black Parade" by My Chemical Romance?--Tammy M. _**

_Yes. _

**_Do you like the song "Big Girls Don't Cry" by Fergie?--Jane G. _**

_No. _

**_If you hated him so much, why did you join He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named in the first place?--Michelle W._**

_It's complicated. _

**_There is a group of witches and wizards (mostly wizards) out there who believe that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did not die at the end of the war, but is instead hiding out in the United States disguised as famous Muggle singer Michael Jackson, and is simply biding his time until he can return to power. What is your opinion of this phenomenon? --Jackie C. _**

_Honestly, I would really, really like to know what those people are smoking, because as a Healer, I will more likely than not end up treating them for overdoses before too long, and I'd kind of like to know what I'm dealing with before I have to deal with it.  
P.S.: If you're one of them, you're crazy and I'm laughing at you right now. Yes, you. I'm laughing my head off and hoping I DON'T see you at St. Mungo's in the near future. _

**_Will you marry me? --Name withheld _**

_Taken. Loving it. Sorry. _

**_Is he a Dark wizard? --Alicia M. _**

_Him? No, that's a pineapple. You need glasses, my friend._

_Nice meeting you all. _

* * *


	63. Chapter 63

**YouCanCallMeE: **Hey, Aunt Andy?

**OSaneOne:** Yes?

**YouCanCallMeE:** Did you send my dad a copy of the guest column I wrote for Witch Weekly?

**OSaneOne:** Of course. Why?

**YouCanCallMeE:** Um, because I just got a letter from Dad asking who the hell My Chemical Romance is and why I like them.

**OSaneOne:** Oh? That's odd....

**YouCanCallMeE: **I'm not sending him that song.

**OSaneOne: **Why not? It might spark an interesting conversation.

**YouCanCallMeE:** Aunt Andy, I can tell you exactly how that conversation would go, and it would NOT be pretty.

**YouCanCallMeE: **You still there?

**OSaneOne:** At least you know he read the other letter you sent.

**YouCanCallMeE:** How can you tell?

**OSaneOne:** He's talking to you, for one. He wants to know about a song you like and why--in other words, he's trying to understand you better.

**YouCanCallMeE: **Oh.

**OSaneOne:** Send him the song.

**YouCanCallMeE: **You know he'll hate it.

**OSaneOne:** Who cares? YOU already like it, and his opinion won't change yours. YOU might change HIS.

**YouCanCallMeE:** Doubt it.

**OSaneOne: **Just send him the song and see what happens.

**

* * *

**

**YouCanCallMeE: **I did something very bold and maybe stupid today.....

**Fervenugen:** What did you do?

**Gorkyshlorky: **Did you shave a kitten?

**Fervenugen: **THAT would be stupid....

**YouCanCallMeE:** No. I sent my dad an enchanted copy of the lyrics to "Welcome to the Black Parade."

**Gorkyshlorky:** ....why?

**YouCanCallMeE:** Well, you know that column I wrote for Witch Weekly? Aunt Andy sent him a copy, and he sent me a letter back demanding to know who My Chemical Romance is, and I talked to her and she said it might spark an interesting conversation if I sent him a copy of that song....

**Fervenugen:** Maybe you should've done a different song.

**Gorkyshlorky: **Yeah....maybe one that's not about DEATH?

**YouCanCallMeE:** He'd just ask why I didn't send him the song he asked for, demand to know what I was hiding, and on and on and on until when I finally DID send him that song, he'd be even more horrified than if I'd just sent him that song in the first place.

**Gorkyshlorky:** ....

**Fervenugen: **That's probably true.

**YouCanCallMeE:** How are things going with you and Angelina, BTW?

**Fervenugen:** Brilliant. Nice change of subject.

**Gorkyshlorky: **Do you think you could deliver the letter in person?

**YouCanCallMeE: **Doubt it. Why?

**Gorkyshlorky: **Because I would really, really like to see the look on his face when he hears "Welcome to the Black Parade" for the first time, and I was wondering if you'd be willing to get pictures for us.

**Fervenugen:** Ooohhh....good idea, George!

**YouCanCallMeE: **Sorry. Not going to happen.

**Gorkyshlorky: **Damn.

**YouCanCallMeE: **I'll tell you what he says, though.

**Fervenugen: **This should be good.

* * *

**Pulling Pranks is What I Like to Do**

**_Monkey_**

I've never wished I could go to Azkaban.

Ever.

But now I almost wish I could go there....just for a minute....just long enough to see Lucius Malfoy's face when he hears a certain song contrary to everything he ever believed. (At least I'm pretty sure it is; I never stopped to ask.)

Maybe he'll end up liking it.....

....or maybe not.

* * *

_Sorry I haven't written for good ol' Gred and Forge in a while....but I am planning on bringing them back into the story. _

_One more note: **I am not a fan of My Chemical Romance**. "Welcome to the Black Parade" is the only song by them that I like. I only used it here because....well, it would REALLY freak LM out if he heard it, knowing it's a song his son likes. _

_Next chapter, I'm going to try switching--temporarily--to Lucius Malfoy's perspective so you can all see his reaction. Tell me what you think--politely and coherently (in other words, no "ur totalee ruineeng the sotry!!!!11!!!") and if enough people hate it, I won't do it again. If enough people like it, I'll keep doing it--but I'll keep it pretty rare, so it won't disrupt the natural flow of the blog too much. _


	64. Chapter 64

_Like I said last chapter, I'm temporarily switching from blog format to story format. Tell me what you think, and be honest._

_All thoughts sprinkled throughout belong to Lucius Malfoy and not the author of this fic. _

_

* * *

_

The letter sat in Lucius' cell, unopened, for several days. Without opening it, he knew My Chemical Romance was a Muggle band, one he was sure to hate. Perhaps it was the fact that Draco had completely lost his mind (why else would he marry a Mudblood?) that gave him this insight, or maybe he was just good at guessing. Whatever the case, he wanted to delay the torture of whatever untalented Muggle group Draco was into.

He finally opened it when he could no longer stand the suspense. Bad music was still music, and he hadn't heard any in years.

Lucius took a deep breath, steeling himself for the worst.

_Hey Dad, _

_Here is the song "Welcome to the Black Parade" by My Chemical Romance. I've put the lyrics in here, too, so you can follow along. Tell me what you think, and I'll tell you why I like it. _

_Draco _

The song itself was on a separate page. The instant he touched the paper, slow, mournful notes sounded from some distant piano, and the lyrics started a moment later.

_When I was a young boy  
My father took me into the city  
To see a marching band..._

Interesting way to start a song, Lucius thought. What could a childhood memory of seeing a marching band have to do with anything, and why would this band write a song about it?

The drumbeat started--a staccato beat, almost like a drummer in a parade--and Lucius had to admit he liked it, even if the lead singer's voice got on his nerves just the tiniest bit.

_He said, "Son, when you grow up  
Would you be the savior of the broken  
The beaten and the damned?" _

Lucius frowned. This boy's father seemed quite random. How could that question possibly relate to a marching band?

_He said, "Will you defeat them  
Your demons and all the nonbelievers  
The plans that they have made?  
Because one day, I'll leave you,  
A phantom, to lead you in the summer  
To join the black parade..." _

It suddenly hit him: This song was about death. Draco liked a song about death. He could only wonder why as the first verse was repeated, his wonder and disgust deepening as the band struck up a quick, undeniably _happy _tune.

_Sometimes I get the feeling  
She's watching over me  
And other times I feel like I should go..._

Narcissa.

Narcissa?

_And through it all, the rise and fall  
The bodies in the streets  
And when you're gone we want you all to know..._

_We'll carry on, we'll carry on  
And though you're dead and gone, believe me,  
Your memory will carry on, we'll carry on  
_

Narcissa. This song was definitly about Narcissa.

_And my heart, I can't contain it  
The anthem can't explain it  
_

_And while that sends you reeling  
From decimated dreams  
Your misery and hate will kill us all_

Lucius felt suddenly guilty and couldn't explain why, but kept reading.

_So paint it black and take it back  
Let's shout it loud and clear  
Defiant to the end we hear the call_

Draco. Now the song was about Draco.

_To carry on, we'll carry on  
And though you're dead and gone, believe me  
Your memory will carry on, we'll carry on  
And though you're broken and defeated  
Your weary widow marches_

_On and on we carry through the fears  
Oooohhh, ooohh, oooohhhh  
Disappointed faces of your peers  
Oooohhh, ooohh, oooohhh  
Take a look at me  
'Cause I could not care at all_

_Do or die, you'll never make me  
__Because the world will never take my heart  
Though you try, you'll never break me  
__We want it all, we wanna play this part_

_Won't explain or say I'm sorry  
I'm unashamed, I'm gonna show my scar  
Give a cheer for all the broken  
Listen here, because it's only_

_I'm just a man, I'm not a hero  
Just a boy who wants to sing this song  
Just a man, I'm not a hero  
I don't care! _

Draco had once said something very much like that to the very man about to kill him. Was that why he liked this song?

Was that why Lucius found it so disturbing now?

_We'll carry on, we'll carry on  
And though you're dead and gone, believe me  
Your memory will carry on, we'll carry on  
And though you're broken and defeated  
Your weary widow marches on_

_Do or die, you'll never make me  
Because the world will never take my heart  
Though you try, you'll never break me  
We want it all, we wanna play this part  
(We'll carry on)_

_Do or die, you'll never make me  
Because the world will never take my heart  
Though you try, you'll never break me  
We want it all, we wanna play this part  
(We'll carry on)_

The song faded out with another parade-like drum solo, ending with a loud _thud _of finality. Lucius stared at the parchment for a long moment, then put it down and walked away.

But the words were still there, following him.

* * *

_I don't own any albums by My Chemical Romance, so I got the lyrics off of an online lyrics site. In other words, if I got a few words/lines wrong, please don't send me a ton of reviews saying "U totalee got th song rong!!!111!!!!1!" _


	65. Chapter 65

**The Invisible Man**

**_Falcon_**

Well, I got a letter from Dad yesterday. Here's what it said:

_Draco, _

_How could anyone possibly like that song?_

_Lucius Malfoy_

So I wrote back:

_Dad, _

_It's cool, catchy, deep, and one of my favorites. _

_Draco_

Then he wrote back:

_Draco,_

_I still don't understand how you could possibly like that song. It's making fun of death. _

_Lucius Malfoy_

Then me:

_Dad, _

_It's not making fun of anything. Listen to it again. The main message isn't "Woohoo, let's make fun of death and insult everyone who's ever died," but "Even though you're dead and we'll miss you, we'll carry on. We'll be okay, and so will you." And that's a message I like. _

_Draco _

He hasn't written back yet. Wonder what he'll say when he does....

On the other hand, it looks like the plans for the wedding are coming together. (At least they are according to Teri....I haven't actually _seen _any of these plans yet....but that's okay with me.)

* * *

**Changing the World through Witch Weekly**

**_Pressing On_**

The wedding plans are coming along nicely.

I've talked with Mum and I think we've decided on a winter wedding. Draco and I both like the idea, and right now we're just narrowing down colors (red, silver, and maybe another color, I think.)

I'm so excited!

* * *

**The Invisible Man**

**_Falcon_**

Dad finally wrote back.

_Draco,_

_Is that all? Then what's this business of "Do or die, you'll never make me" or whatever it is he says? _

_Lucius Malfoy_

So I wrote him back:

_Dad, _

_Well, what do YOU think? _

_Draco_

Then, after a few days, he wrote back:

_Draco,_

_Does this song have anything to do with that other letter you sent me--the one you sent a few weeks ago?_

_Lucius Malfoy_

I'm still not quite sure what to say to that one. If I asked Aunt Andy, she'd probably say something like "Well, does it?" and then I'd say "Yes, it does, very much so" and she'd say "Well, there you have it, then."

Hmmm.....

I think I'll need more than a quick note to explain this one.

Well.....

Time to write out my life's philosophy, I guess.

* * *

_I was actually a little surprised at how many people liked the switch to Lucius' POV. I'll keep doing it, but again, I'll keep the overall number of third-person chapters pretty low so it doesn't overwhelm the blog. _

_Oh, and for people who have asked if I'm going to cover Ginny's pregnancy, I'd just like to say: Of course! Why would I skip THAT? But I'd also like to point out that right now, Draco is 22, so Harry is also 22. The source I heard from said that James Potter II didn't come along until Harry was 24, so it'll be a while. (Of course, I could be wrong, but then again, Ginny DID just finish playing professional Quidditch, so it just seems a little mean to have her get pregnant so soon after such a major change.) _


	66. Chapter 66

**Changing the World through Witch Weekly**

**_Pressing On_**

I got an interesting letter today. Here's what it said:

_Dear Teri, _

_A little over a month ago, you had your fiance, Draco Malfoy, write a guest column that answered random questions from readers. I loved it, and I know I'm not the only one who nearly peed her pants laughing. (I showed it to my friend in the Three Broomsticks, and she laughed so hard she shot butterbeer out her nose.) _

_I was wondering....do you have any more connections to cool people? (ie, Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived)? _

_Abigail B. _

Oddly enough, my editor was wondering the same thing.

I'll talk to Harry about this.

* * *

**PressingOn:** Hey Harry. I had a question....

**AurorInLove:** What is it?

**PressingOn: **How would you feel about recieving dozens (or maybe hundreds) of letters from teen girls and women asking you what your favorite color is?

**AurorInLove:** Huh? Oh! You want me to write a guest column for Witch Weekly?

**PressingOn:** If you have time. I mean, I know your job probably keeps you pretty busy....

**AurorInLove:** I usually have time on the weekends.

**PressingOn:** So you'll do it?

**AurorInLove:** I'd love to!

**PressingOn:** Sweet! I'll tell people to go ahead and write you.

**AurorInLove:** All righty then.

**

* * *

**

**The Invisible Man **

_**Falcon**_

Writing out my life's philosophy is a lot harder than it sounds.

I mean, I know what it _is, _but I've never really thought about it much.

Either way, I know Dad will probably disagree with it.

* * *

**Diary of an Auror**

**_Auror In Love_**

Wow....

I never knew so many teenage girls wanted to know what kind of music I like. I've gotten AT LEAST fifty questions asking me if I like this song or that song, at least fifty asking me about my favorite color, and dozens more asking me about pretty much everything you could possibly think of--what I think of Michael Jackson, am I allergic to shellfish, how do I feel about the Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer (whoever that is)....

At least Ginny knows it's all for fun. When she saw all the letters, she just raised her eyebrows and said "Wow."

"Wow what?"

"I didn't know you had so many fans."

I laughed. "I thought they were all adults, not teenage girls."

She grinned. "You'd be surprised. Remember Romilda Vane?"

"Unfortunately." I started sifting through the letters, and lo and behold, there was one from Romilda in there.

I'm not going to answer it. It was kind of creepy.

* * *


	67. Chapter 67

**Diary of an Auror**

**_Stag_**

I've decided to answer Romilda's letter. They're not going to say her name, which is probably good, but hopefully, it'll give her some closure. And by closure, I mean I hope it'll make her realize that I'm 1) MARRIED and 2) not interested. That, and when Teri's editor read it, she said I should answer it, so that's what I'm doing.

This should be interesting.

* * *

**If This Be My Blog **

**_Horse Luver 14_**

Well, Harry finally got his guest column written. When I read it, I laughed so hard I shot water out my nose.

Here it is:

**_Ask Harry_**

_Hey everyone. Harry Potter here. So...this is my guest column. Enjoy. _

**_I heard you're married. Rachel T. _**

_  
Yep. And loving every minute. _

**_Did you really grow up not knowing about your parents? Alyssa S. _**

_Considering that I grew up in the Muggle world with Muggles who didn't like magic, then yes, I really did grow up not knowing about my parents. _

**_Did He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named really kill you? Jessica M. _**

_I really don't know. I'm still alive, I know that much, but I'd really rather not talk about it. _

**_Are you allergic to shellfish? Trisha H. _**

_No. _

**_How do you feel about the Twilight series by Muggle author Stephanie Meyer? Olivia G. _**

_First of all, I have never read the books, and after doing some research on them, I don't think I ever will.  
My biggest problem is with Meyer's vampires. Anyone who has met or even heard of a REAL vampire knows that they can't go out in sunlight because it kills them and that they NEED to feed on human blood (unless they've been helped with special remedial magic, and even then they still need blood). But according to Meyer, they just can't go out in sunlight because their skin is so sparkly it attracts their prey (humans) who evidently can't resist anything shiny. You know what that reminds me of? Disco. In the 1970s, Muggles really got into this trend called disco, where they would hang this giant reflective ball from the ceiling and dance around it. So the only thing I can think of that a Muggle might do after seeing a shiny vampire is dance around that shiny vampire.  
Not only that, but Meyer's vampires don't NEED to feed on blood; they just want to. Meyer's vampires can resist the urge. I just hope that teenage girls don't believe this lie, because if they do, we'll have a lot more vampires running around.  
Yeah....just don't read them, okay? I'd rather not have you get bitten by a vampire and be cursed to walk the earth alone, undead, for all eternity. (Have you caught onto the fact that, from what I know, being undead SUCKS?) _

**_Hi Harry! It's me, [name withheld]! How have you been? Good? That's fabulous. How have I been? Depressed. I haven't seen you in forever....I've missed you! Missed you like the grass misses the winter sun--that's how much I've missed you.  
I have just one question: Can that woman you married ever appreciate the way your smile makes your emerald eyes crinkle the way I can? --Name withheld _**

_I guess you already know, but let me just say it again: I'M MARRIED. Not only that, but I'M HAPPY THAT WAY. I LIKE the woman I married. If I didn't, I wouldn't have married her.  
Given that reality, here are your options.  
Option 1: Find another guy who preferably looks nothing like me, settle down, and have a bunch of kids.  
Option 2: Board a ship to Chile. Learn Spanish. Star in a Spanish soap opera.  
Option 3: Go to the North Pole on the first female-led quest to find Santa Claus.  
Please quit stalking me. I am not your special soul mate. _

_Um....yeah...sorry about that, everyone. It was nice meeting all of you. _

* * *

_In case you didn't guess, that last letter was from Romilda Vane. I decided I'd just throw it in there for fun. _

_And I'm sorry if I offended anyone who likes Twilight; I just went for the reaction that Harry would probably have. I figured that, as an Auror, he would see Meyer's vampires as a major perversion of the real undead and want to warn teen girls that her vampires are about as far away from the real thing as you can get. _


	68. Chapter 68

**Changing the World through Witch Weekly**

**_Pressing On_**

The wedding is coming up soon--in a few months, actually.

We've gotten most of the arrangements made--flowers, colors, etc. We still haven't picked out a cake yet, and I don't have a dress, but that's okay. It'll be a while, anyways.

I am so excited!

(On another note, the guest column thing is really popular. My editor is talking about making it into a series.)

* * *

**The Invisible Man **

**_Falcon_**

I just realized....

In a few months (which really isn't all that long), I'm getting married. I just haven't thought about it much lately because--I'll admit it--every time I think about it, I start feeling sort of panicky. Not that I don't _want _to get married, it's just....ugh.

Another realization of mine: Writing out your life's philosophy is a lot harder than it sounds--especially when it's for your dad who probably holds the closest to the exact opposite views as you. I'd change the subject with him, but he probably wouldn't let me.

Ugh.

* * *

**I'm Sane. Deal With It. **

**_O Sane One _**

Well.

Draco's wedding is coming up soon...and I couldn't be more excited. Not only because I'm happy for him, or because I'm happy that he's marrying a Muggleborn (who is a very sweet girl and just about perfect for him), but because I've been stocking up on film for my camera. Even if Lucius isn't coming (and I can't say I'm upset he's not) he's still going to see every minute of the ceremony.

I can't wait.

* * *


	69. Chapter 69

_Just a few quick posts and then I'm going to skip ahead to the wedding, 'kay? _

* * *

**Changing the World through Witch Weekly**

**_Pressing On_**

The wedding is coming up quick. Not much to say there.

My editor wants me to turn the whole guest column thing into a series--starting with famous or famous-ish people I know and having them answer questions. (It's also made my column even more popular, so I can't complain there.)

I think I'll ask Ron next....

**

* * *

**

**The Invisible Man **

**_Falcon_**

Well, I've finally answered Dad's latest letter. After several weeks of tearing my hair out, trying to figure out how to word the damn thing, I've discovered that what I had to say was actually quite simple:

_Dad, _

_Sorry it took me so long to answer your last letter. If it makes you feel any better, I've spent the entire time wondering how to word this one. So here goes. _

_You wanted to know why I liked "Welcome to the Black Parade" and if it had anything to do with what I did during the war. I don't think it'll come as a surprise when I say that yes, it does. It has everything to do with the war. _

_Death doesn't scare me. I know that's probably the weirdest thing you've ever heard me say, but it's also the truest. I don't like it, not at all, but...it's kind of hard to explain. I guess....I guess that once you find something worth dying for, you've found something worth living for, and the idea of death doesn't seem so bad, because you know that when it finally comes, you'll have lived the best way you know how. _

That's _what "Welcome to the Black Parade" is about--about not fearing death because you've had a chance to live, and you've taken it. It's about telling Death "You'll never break me. Nothing ever can." _

_Draco _

Let's see what he says.

* * *


	70. Chapter 70

**The Invisible Man **

**_Falcon _**

I'm getting married tomorrow.

Yes, I love her.

Yes, I'm reasonably certain we're right for each other.

Okay, okay, more than "reasonably"! No need to bust out the Michael Jackson picture, Harry! Just trying not to push our luck or anything....

HOLY CRAP I'M GETTING MARRIED TOMORROW!

* * *

**Fervenugen: **So. You're getting married tomorrow.

**YouCanCallMeE:** Yeah....

**Fervenugen:** You sound nervous. Shall we psychoanalyze you?

**YouCanCallMeE: **Sure. Why not.

**Gorkyshlorky: **Hmmm....nervous, definitely.

**Fervenugen: **Definitely nervous.

**Gorkyshlorky: **Why do you think this is?

**Fervenugen:** Perhaps because he knows that after this, he won't be able to do any more stupid things?

**Gorkyshlorky:** Ahhh...yes....last chance to do something stupid....

**Fervenugen: **Okay, Drake. Here's the cure: Run out, buy a gorilla suit, stand in the middle of Gringotts, and sing "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" by Pat Benetar backwards.

**AurorInLove: **Don't do that.

**Gorkyshlorky: **Harry?

**Fervenugen: **Where'd you come from?

**AurorInLove: **That's not important. Drake, don't dress up in a gorilla suit and sing "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" backward.

**YouCanCallMeE: **Wasn't planning on it.

**AurorInLove: **Good.

**

* * *

**

**Changing the World through Witch Weekly**

_**Pressing On**_

Last day as Asteria Greengrass. I should practice:

Asteria Malfoy

Mrs. Asteria Malfoy

Mrs. Asteria Elizabeth Malfoy

Teri Malfoy

Teri M.

T. M.

Asteria Greengrass Malfoy

I think that's all the possible combinations.....

I'm so excited!

* * *


	71. Chapter 71

_It's back! *throws confetti* _

* * *

**I'm Sane. Deal With It. **

**_O Sane One _**

Truth be told, I've done a lot of crying over the past few years. I cried buckets when Ted was murdered. I sobbed when Nymphadora and Remus were killed. And when the war finally ended, I cried for joy.

So I suppose you could say that when Draco's wedding day finally arrived, it would have been wise of me to bring a few extra handkerchiefs. After all, Cissy's boy was marrying a Muggleborn. If she had been there, I'm sure she and Lucius both would have cried. (Though their reasons would have been vastly different; Cissy's would be at least partly with joy while Lucius' would be rage and disappointment that he couldn't murder his daughter-in-law. (That wasn't out loud, was it?)) In any case, it was a miracle I could see anything at all through my tears.

But see it I did.

The church--an old one with large double doors and big, tall windows--was decorated with bouquets of red and white roses. A piece of white silk covered the altar, and a poinsettia sat on top of it. Little silver ribbons were everywhere--tied around bouquets, draped over pews, hanging off the altar. Teri picked most of it out, and I have to say she has excellent taste.

As for Teri....well, you could say she looked like a princess. Like a future Malfoy--which I suppose is, in one sense, a princess of sorts. Her gown was gorgeous, an elegant ballgown covered in intricate beading and a veil with lots of lace. I could tell she was nervous; her cheeks were as red as the roses she held.

Neither really forgot their lines; they just stumbled over them a bit. But that wasn't important. I kept my gaze on Draco's face, and the love he felt for his bride was written all over it. Before the war, I don't know if I would have believed it possible--even if I saw it unfolding before my eyes.

Draco Malfoy. Pureblood.

Asteria Malfoy. Muggleborn.

I couldn't stop thinking about Cissy, picturing what she'd say if she were here. Somehow, I got the feeling it would have nothing to do with blood status and everything to do with her new daughter-in-law. And I think I know what it is:

"She's the daughter I always wanted."

* * *

**Real Men Wear Kilts **

**_Kilted Stranger _**

You can say that all of us who came through the war didn't marry like anyone would've expected.

Oh, sure, people all over were expecting Harry and Ron to marry girls within "acceptable" society, but that's partly because Harry is the Boy Who Lived and Ron is a blood traitor. (I suppose we're all blood traitors now, but Ron and Ginny have been blood traitors longer.)

Still, if you had cornered Draco six, seven years ago and told him he'd marry a Muggleborn, I'm sure he would've laughed in your face. Thank God for the passage of time.

As the best man, I had to make a speech. I just told them what I knew (and what I knew they knew): You made the right choice. You married for love and not blood status, and thank God none of us care about that anymore. It's made finding the right one a whole lot easier. So here's to your life together; may it be long, fulfilling and full of awesome parties. And on that note, let's party!

And party we did. Most of the songs were Muggle--"Let Love In," "Sweet Child O' Mine," "Iris," "A Little More." Teri's dad catered the whole thing, so the food was excellent. It was a great celebration of an event nobody would have anticipated, but also one nobody regretted.

* * *

_All hail THE HOGBLOG PLOT BUNNY! It's ba-ack! _


	72. Chapter 72

_I fought you long and hard, but you finally wore me down. Congratulations, Readers for Computers in Azkaban, your incessant pleading has finally won the day. _

_

* * *

_

**OSaneOne: **Draco, did you hear what they're doing in Azkaban?

**NewlywedBloodTraitor: **No. I've been on my honeymoon, remember?

**OSaneOne: **Yes. Love your username, by the way.

**NewlywedBloodTraitor: **He he, thanks. :)

**NewlywedBloodTraitor: **So what was this about Azkaban?

**AurorInLove: **They're installing computers for the prisoners.

**NewlywedBloodTraitor: **WHAT?

**AurorInLove: **Shacklebolt told me about it the other day.

**OSaneOne: **Insane, isn't it?

**NewlywedBloodTraitor: **Insane? It's PSYCHOTIC! It's a PRISON, for Merlin's sake! What next? Cake and balloons? Cell keys as birthday presents?

**Fervenugen: **I see you heard about the Azkaban project.

**OSaneOne: **Unfortunately.

**Gorkyshlorky: **You know what this means, don't you?

**AurorInLove: **Death and destruction for everyone as a result of a mass breakout?

**Fervenugen: **Better.

**NewlywedBloodTraitor: **Fred, a room of drunken Acromantulas is better than that.

**Gorkyshlorky: **Well, then this is positively awesome.

**OSaneOne: **What is it?

**Fervenugen: **Crabbe and Goyle's blog is coming back!

* * *

**The Azkaban Blog Project **

**Subject: Welcome to the Project **

Hello there. This is Jareth York, Assistant Azkaban Warden and head of the Azkaban Blog Project.

I'm sure you're all wondering why we've decided to give prisoners blogs. After all, shouldn't blogs be reserved for those who are not the quote-unquote "scum of society"? Won't blogs allow them to access information from the outside world, some of which may result in a mass breakout? Well....yes. And no.

This Project was started as a sort of experiment. After the successful run of Albus Dumbledore's Hogwarts Blog, researchers found that students who participated in the Blog benefited from the sort of instant communication it offered. Morale was higher and, as a result of being able to communicate with students from different Houses, inter-House unity was strengthened. I doubt the same result could have been obtained through letters.

In light of this, we have started the Project. It will allow prisoners to communicate directly with loved ones in the outside world. Access to other information will be strictly guarded, if not completely prohibited, to prevent them from obtaining information on how to escape. Communication will be based on good behavior.

If that wasn't enough to comfort you, this will: **The Project is strictly experimental**. At the first sign of trouble, it will be shut down.

With that in mind, allow me to personally welcome you to the Azkaban Blog Project.

**Posted by: Jareth York **

* * *

**Thots Frum Prisun **

**_Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle_**

ya.

its THOTS FRUM PRISUN now.

thanks a lot, draco.

u suk.

prisun suks.

every1 suks.

_**

* * *

**_

Hey, it's your own fault. If you hadn't taken such pleasure in torturing my WIFE, maybe I wouldn't have had to send you to Azkaban.  
--Draco Malfoy

What my amazingly sexy husband said.  
--Asteria Malfoy

Your "Amazingly Sexy" husband used to be my BOYFRIEND, Mudblood.  
--Pansy Parkinson

And now you're in prison. Ha ha.  
--Asteria Malfoy

Watch your mouth, Mudblood. If I were anywhere but here, you'd be anything but alive.  
--Pansy Parkinson

If you were anywhere but Azkaban, you wouldn't be talking to my wife that way. And if you were, you'd be dead.  
--Draco Malfoy

And then YOU'D be the one in prison. Ha ha.  
--Pansy Parkinson

Keep it civil or your blog privelages will be revoked, Parkinson.  
--Jareth York

He started it.  
--Pansy Parkinson

_And I'm finishing it. Shut up.  
--Jareth York_

* * *

_Tell me what you think! _


	73. Chapter 73

**The Azkaban Blog Project **

**Future, What Future? **

**_Pansy Parkinson _**

Yes, that title IS dripping in bitterness, thanks for asking. Not that you did. Nobody ever DOES, least of all a certain ex-boyfriend of mine.

So.

I'm sure you're all wondering what prison life is like. Well, you're in luck, because I'm about to tell you in two words:

It sucks.

It's old, cold and moldy here. (Yes, moldy. I got moldy bread for lunch yesterday. How delicious.) The dementors might be gone, but who says they need them? This place is depressing enough, what with the crumbling walls and view of a sea that always seems to be stormy. Oddly enough, the crumbling walls are actually a good deal stronger than all of the non-crumbling ones I've seen. Stupid magic. Stupid prison. Stupid Jareth, stupid, stupid stupid. This whole place is stupid.

And so is everyone who put me here!

* * *

_Oh, blah, blah blah, YOUR needs.  
Millicent Nott _

_They ARE needs, Millicent! Food is a basic human need!  
Pansy Parkinson _

_You ASKED for moldy bread, Parkinson. I just gave you what you asked for.  
Jareth York _

_You keep moldy bread on hand! That scares me.  
Pansy Parkinson _

_I gave you non-moldy bread after you screamed and dropped your plate. I said 'Sorry, just kidding, couldn't resist' and gave you a clean plate.  
Jareth York _

_I don't remember that.  
Pansy Parkinson_

_Having memory problems again? You just haven't been the same since you spent that hour banging your head against the wall.....  
Jareth York _

_Fun fact: Banging your head against the wall burns up to 50 calories per hour.  
Fred Weasley _

_Really? Cool!  
Millicent Nott _

_I'm sure there are easier ways to burn 50 calories....and less painful...  
Jareth York _

_Can we PLEASE get back on topic?  
Pansy Parkinson _

_What topic? Your self-induced memory loss or your inability to recognize a prank?  
Jareth York _

_You can't recognize a prank? How sad.  
Fred Weasley _

_That IS sad, Fred! We should throw a pity party.  
George Weasley _

_With a smooshed cake and deflated balloons?  
Fred Weasley _

_OOH! I'll come! I've got some stale popcorn under the sofa!  
Asteria Malfoy _

_I'll hire the Joker as entertainment!  
Jareth York _

_Who's the Joker? He sounds fun.  
Fred Weasley _

_Trust me, he's not. He's from an American muggle series of comic books, and he's actually quite terrifying.  
Jareth York _

_Which one?  
Fred Weasley _

_Batman.  
Jareth York_

_Hmm...sounds interesting.  
George Weasley _

_I can send you a copy if you want to read them.  
Jareth York _

_You never offer to let ME read your comic books!  
Pansy Parkinson _

_Yes I do. You think they're stupid.  
Jareth York _

_

* * *

_

**The Invisible Man **

**_Falcon_ **

The only word to describe the Azkaban Blog Project is _interesting_.

I suppose it's an all-purpose word. In this case, it means "I can talk to the ex-girlfriend who dumped me and listen to her whine about everything under the sun." Yes, it's very interesting.

And I guess this means I'll also get to IM with Dad soon--provided he wants to talk. And between you and me, I'm kind of hoping he doesn't. It's not that I don't want to talk to him....well, yeah it is.

I won't know what to say, that's the problem. Anything I tell him he'll either dismiss as a waste of time ( ie, becoming head of St. Mungo's in-the-works Dark Arts Department) or denounce as another bad choice I'm sure to regret in ten years (marrying Asteria).

At least Pansy's blog is entertaining.

* * *

_Here are some of the usernames: _

_Falcon: Draco Malfoy  
AurorInLove: Harry Potter  
OSaneOne: Andromeda Tonks  
Gorkyshlorky: George Weasley  
Fervenugen: Fred Weasley _

_I'll post more usernames as I use them. _


	74. Chapter 74

**The Azkaban Blog Project **

**The Warden's Assistant **

**_Jareth York _**

It's been about two weeks, and the Project seems to be running quite smoothly. With the exception of a certain Miss Parkinson (whose blog privelages have been temporarily revoked) most everyone seems to be obeying the rules.

In other news....well, there's not a whole lot of news. Unless you'd rather hear about how I considered changing my IM username to UCantTouchThis or maybe CapedCrusader but was told that was "unprofessional," or how I've loaned copies of my Batman comic books to several participants outside of Azkaban.

Yeah. Not a lot going on.

* * *

_MC Hammer for the win!  
Fred Weasley _

_MC Hammer rocks!  
George Weasley _

_So does Batman. Although I must say the Joker is pretty scary....  
Harry Potter _

_He reminds me of Aunt Spazzy.  
Draco Malfoy _

_Aunt Spazzy?  
Jareth York _

_My name for Bellatrix Lestrange.  
Draco Malfoy _

_1. Aunt Spazzy fits her.  
2. Yes, she WAS a lot like the Joker, now that you mention it.  
3. She's your aunt? Sucks to be you.  
Jareth York _

_1. I thought so.  
2. Maybe that's why the Joker's so creepy....any comic book character who reminds me of my crazy aunt is bound to be scary.  
3. Yeah, I get that a lot.  
Draco Malfoy _

* * *

**The Greatest Blog in the History of the Universe! **

**Stag: **Has anyone else finished "A Death in the Family?"

**Mockingbird: **I haven't even started it yet. Draco's still reading that one.

**Falcon: **Oh my God!

**Stag: **I know, huh?

**Mockingbird: **What?

**Huskie: **Don't worry; I don't know either.

**Falcon: **I can't believe he did that!

**Mockingbird: **Can't believe who did what?

**Stag: **Don't tell her!

**Falcon: **I won't. Teri, I'm not sure you want to know.

**Mockingbird: **Do I?

**Falcon: **I'll let you read this one when I'm finished, but I'm pretty sure you'll cry.

**Huskie: **Now I'm curious. What happens?

**Stag: **Let's just say it involves a clown who reminds us all of Bellabitch.

**Huskie: **The Joker? What does he do?

**Falcon: **You'll find out before you're ready.

**Mockingbird: **Oh, come on! Now that you've told us, we'll be ready for it.

**Falcon: **Doubt that.

**Stag: **It does get better, though.

**Falcon: **How?

**Stag: **Well, I've figured out that in Muggle comics, anything goes. And by anything, I mean ANYTHING.

**Falcon: **Suddenly, I hate DC comics less.

**Stag: **You'll like this twist, I'm sure.

**Falcon: **Can't wait. Well, I'd better get back to work.

**Stag: **Me too. See you later. We still on for dinner this weekend?

**Falcon: **Unless the Joker shows up, yes.

**Stag: **....

**Falcon: **(offline)

**Stag: **(offline)

**Mockingbird: **Grrr....

**Huskie: **Don't take it too personally.

**Mockingbird: **They're doing it on purpose, you know. They're TRYING to make us mad.

**Huskie: **I know. Theo did that with the last issue Jareth loaned us. He stopped when I started calling him Puddin.

**Mockingbird: **Puddin?

**Huskie: **You'll find out when you get to that issue.

**Mockingbird: **GAAAAHHHHH!

* * *

**Mockingbird: **NO!!!! ROBIN!!!!!

**Horse: **What? Something happens to Robin?

**Falcon: **I take it you've read that far....

**Mockingbird: **I will never forgive DC Comics! Never!

**Horse: **Never forgive DC for what? What happens to Robin?

**Falcon: **Don't worry, it gets better.

**Mockingbird: **It better get better! A crowbar and a time bomb? WHAT A JERK!

**Horse: **I'm very confused....

**Mockingbird: **You'll find out when you read it.

**Horse: **Grr.....

* * *

_So this chapter was sort of an answer to my own question: What would the Harry Potter characters think of Batman comics? More specifically, what would they think of the Joker? If you're confused and/ or unfamiliar with Batman, just go to Wikipedia. It has the answer for everything....._

_Usernames/ Patronuses: _

_Stag: Harry Potter  
Falcon: Draco Malfoy  
Mockingbird: Asteria Malfoy  
Huskie: Millicent Nott  
Horse: Ginny Potter__  
_


	75. Chapter 75

**The Greatest Blog in the History of the Universe! **

**Falcon:** I really need to change the name of this site.

**Mockingbird: **Why?

**Otter: **I second Teri's question.

**Falcon: **Where should I start?

**Stag: **On what?

**Otter: **Draco wants to change the name of this site.

**Stag:** Why?

**Falcon: **For starters, I came up with the name when I was 17....and giddy from lack of sleep....and nervous as hell....and still on a sugar high from too many chocolate frogs....

**Mockingbird: **Well, the legacy of a good sugar high should always be preserved.

**Falcon: **Like the legacy of....never mind.

**Stag: **Thank you for sparing us the details.

**Huskie: **Speaking of news....

**Mockingbird: **Who's speaking of news?

**Huskie: **Now that you mention it, Theo and I have an announcement to make.

**Stag:** Really? What kind of announcement?

**Huskie: **A very exciting one....

**Otter:** You're not moving to the States, are you?

**Mockingbird:** Are you?

**Huskie:** The States? Where'd you hear that?

**Otter: **Well, I heard the Prophet was going to send a correspondent to the US--I think because of some new discovery that's been made there--and when you said you had news, I thought of you and Theo.

**Huskie: **Well, we're not moving to the States.

**Mockingbird: **Good! I would miss you.

**Huskie: **Glad I'd be missed.

**Stag: **So what's the announcement, Mill?

**Huskie: **Theo and I would rather make it in person.

**Falcon: **Then why bother telling us on here?

**Huskie: **To build up suspense, of course!

**Mockingbird: **Grr.

* * *

**The Azkaban Blog Project**

**KiltsR4Muggles: **I heard you have some news to share, Theo.

**KiltedStranger:** ....Really, Dad? Could you have picked a worse username?

**KiltsR4Muggles:** I chose it because it's the truth! Now are you going to tell me your news, or are you going to wait until my time expires?

**KiltedStranger:** Are you sure you don't want me to wait until you're in a better mood?

**KiltsR4Muggles: **I'll be in an even worse mood if you make me wait.

**KiltedStranger: **Fine, I'll tell you.

**KiltedStranger: **Millie's pregnant.

**KiltedStranger: **Dad? Are you still there?

**KiltedStranger: **Dad?

**KiltedStranger: **Dad?

* * *

**The Invisible Blog of Invisibility 2.0 **

**Real Men Wear Kilts**

**_Kilted Stranger _**

Well, I told Dad about Millicent and the baby today.

I don't think he took it very well.

* * *

_GAAAHHHH! Sorry this chapter took so long for me to upload. You can thank glistening moon for motivating me to keep writing this fic--and for giving me an idea or two for conflict. _


	76. Chapter 76

**My Husband, the Blood Traitor **

**The Greatest Blog in the History of the Universe!**

**_Mockingbird _**

I know Draco means well.

I know he's a Healer and sort of obligated to say these things to his dearest friends.

I know he didn't mean to derail the evening or steer the conversation in a completely different and unwanted direction or make me take refuge in the bedroom.

But for the love of God, Draco, couldn't you have waited until later to tell them?

Let me start from the beginning. After Millie's almost-announcement online (telling us she had something important that she wanted to tell us in person) Draco and I decided to be the first to know. (He's competitive that way.) We invited them over for dinner, and everyone knew up front that it was so we could find out what was going on.

They showed up at the front door looking happier than ever. I don't think I've ever seen Millicent smile so much. I had an idea of what she was going to say, but I let them keep it a surprise.

We all gathered around the dinner table, and Draco managed to contain his curiosity until we'd started eating. "So," he said, grinning sort of mischeiviously, "you two had something you wanted to share?"

Theo reached over and grabbed Millie's hand. I saw them exchange a couple looks- "You want to tell them?" "No, you go ahead"- and then Millicent spoke. "We're going to have a baby," she said.

I confess, I squealed and clapped my hands a little. I'd already had a hunch, but still, that's good news! At least, I thought so until I looked at Draco.

He wasn't smiling. Millicent may as well have told him they were moving to Argentina to live like Muggles, for how shocked he looked. He blinked a few times, then forced a smile. "That's...that's wonderful!"

Millicent, like the rest of us, saw through his act. "Draco, what's wrong?"

"It's nothing," he said.

"That wasn't a 'nothing' face you made," Theo said. "Just tell us, Drake. I'm sure we can handle it."

Suddenly, I knew. I didn't know exactly what he was going to tell them, but I knew they wouldn't want to hear it. "Maybe we should just move on," I said.

"No, no, let him say it," Millicent said. "If he's gone to all the trouble of looking alarmed, we may as well hear why."

I sank down in my chair, staring at my plate. It seemed a long time before Draco spoke.

"Werewolf pregnancies are very...high-risk," he finally said. I could hear his fork scraping across his plate in useless circles. "For both the mother and the baby. The rate of miscarriage is...high...stillbirth is all too common, and even if the child _is_ carried to term, the risk of birth defects is higher still." I looked up at the same moment he did. "Some of those defects can be fatal."

The silence stretched the minutes out. I could hear the clock ticking in the hall as the four of us sat there like a hideous family portrait: Theo and Millie, looking shocked; Draco, looking guilty; and me, caught in between the two. Finally, Theo tossed his napkin onto his plate.

"Damn it, Draco, you couldn't put a bow on it?"

"You asked for the truth, and I gave it to you."

"You could've waited! Called us to the hospital later on and _pretended_ for just two seconds you were happy for us!"

"Hey, _you're_ the one who insisted on knowing! I'm not the one who made things the way they are!"

By now both of them were on their feet, and I was glad neither had their wands handy. Not that they needed them; their words did enough damage.

"It could have waited!"

"You _asked_! You _asked _me to tell you! You can't blame me for what I said when you _wanted_ to hear it!"

No one seemed to notice when I slipped out of the dining room and down the hall. I went into the bedroom, but even the closed door couldn't hold back their angry voices.

"So what else do you want to tell us, Draco? Go ahead, drop it on us. It can't do any worse, can it?"

"I'm not telling you anything if you're going to be that way, Theo."

"Oh, please! I'm _asking_ for it, aren't I?"

And so on and so forth. Draco didn't tell them anything else, and Theo and Millie left just a few minutes ago. I can still hear the door, slamming on their way out.

* * *

**Mockingbird: **Millicent? Are you there?

**Mockingbird: **Come on, Millie, talk to me. I can see you're online.

**Huskie: **What?

**Mockingbird**: Look, Draco didn't mean to ruin the evening. He's just used to being the bearer of bad news, that's all.

**Huskie: **He didn't have to tell us.

**Mockingbird: **What, you'd rather find out on your own?

**Huskie**: It would've been better than having to think about it all the time.

**Mockingbird: **You asked.

**Huskie: **We ASKED? Who ASKS for news like that, Asteria? Who ASKS to hear they're probably going to lose their baby?

**Mockingbird: **Well, what did you want him to do? Lie about it? Let you go on, thinking everything was perfectly fine until something went wrong?

**Huskie: **(Offline)

**Mockingbird**: Seriously, Millicent? That's your answer?

**Mockingbird**: (Offline)

* * *

_Deepest apologies for the long hiatus, everyone. I'll try to update this (and some of my other HP stories) more regularly, as I have now proudly climbed back aboard the bandwagon! Between you and me...I've missed this fandom. _


	77. Chapter 77

**OSaneOne: **So you just spilled the beans over dinner, is that it? Did they even get a chance to finish dinner?

**BloodTraitor35: **We never got around to it.

**OSaneOne:** Oh, Draco...

**BloodTraitor35: **What? They were going to find out eventually. If not from me, from another Healer.

**OSaneOne: **Then let another Healer tell them. YOU didn't have to tell them at all!

**BloodTraitor35: **Another Healer wouldn't have been so gentle.

**OSaneOne:** Implying you broke the news gently.

**BloodTraitor35:** I did!

**OSaneOne:** That's not the way Asteria tells it.

**BloodTraitor35: **You talked to her?

**OSaneOne: **Of course I did. She told me about the fight and I listened.

**OSaneOne: **Are you still there?

**BloodTraitor35: **Yes, I'm still here.

**OSaneOne:** You have to apologize, Draco.

**BloodTraitor35:** What? Why? Give me one good reason.

**OSaneOne:** Because they're your friends.

**BloodTraitor35:** Yes. And I told them the truth. What's wrong with that?

**BloodTraitor35**: Are you still there, Andy?

**OSaneOne: **Just...oh, never mind.

**BloodTraitor35: **What?

**OSaneOne:** (logged off)

* * *

**I'm Sane. Deal With It. **

_**O Sane One **_

When I first met Draco, I knew he was Lucius' son. Even if I hadn't known his last name- if Cissy had, for some reason that passes my comprehension, eloped- I could have guessed. They're nearly the spitting image of each other. His actions, however, told another story. He was more like his mother than his father, a fact I was not unhappy with.

Or so I thought.

Maybe he meant well. I'm sure he did. But that doesn't change the fact that he invited his dearest friends over for dinner, listened to their happy news, then told them Millicent would probably miscarry their child. There's no excuse for that.

Dear Merlin, he's so like his father...

* * *

_Short, I know, but my plot bunny just returned. Lately it's been racking up lots of frequent flyer miles. It'll send me phone messages from Thailand and Bermuda, then return four months later, tanned and in flip-flops. It will whisper in my ear, but since bunnies don't make much noise, I can't exactly hear. _

_So, anyway, another chapter is done. Hope you enjoyed it. _


	78. Chapter 78

_OKAY. After much ado and even more searching, I think I have found my plot bunny. (Actually, one of my readers did, so thank you Taylur for checking the Bermuda Triangle!)_

_And since I know it's been a while, I'll put the usernames at the beginning of this chapter instead of at the end. _

_KiltedStranger: Theodore  
Horse: Ginny  
Mockingbird: Asteria _

* * *

**Real Men Wear Kilts**

**_Kilted Stranger _**

I can't believe him.

Scene: A nice evening. We're all having dinner together, laughing and content. Millicent and I have good news to share, so we do. Draco, of course, can't leave it at that—no, he has to present us with irrefutable evidence that we have NOTHING to be excited about.

I checked his facts, by the way. I scanned every book on werewolves I could find—modern sources, ancient research, and everything in between. Damn him, he's right. He always is, when it comes to healing. Now Millicent has barricaded herself in the bathroom (again) and I'm searching through musty old books for some ray of hope. I can't hear her crying, but I can hear the water running into the sink. With my wife, the latter implies the former.

My God, I want to throttle him...

* * *

**Horse: **Teri, is Draco there?

**Mockingbird: **No. He's working late.

**Horse:** When will he be home?

**Mockingbird: **I don't know.

**Horse:** I just want to talk to him.

**Mockingbird: **He doesn't.

**Horse:** Would you please tell him I just want to talk?

**Mockingbird: **(logged off)

* * *

**My Husband, the Blood Traitor**

_**Mockingbird **_

This. Is. A. Disaster.

All he has to do is talk to them. That's all he needs to do. Maybe it won't solve everything, but it'll solve SOMETHING! Don't ask me what.

Instead, he's hiding. Literally. He's locked himself in his study. It was a simple charm he used, but I'm not about to unlock it. Not yet, anyway.

I don't know what to do. I can't side with him, since he's so obviously wrong. Mostly. I can almost see his side of the issue.

He's my husband.

Millie is my best friend.

Everyone else who knows—the Potters, the Weasleys—want to talk to him. They'll talk sense into him. Maybe.

He'll feel like they're ganging up on him. And he won't see their point.

There will be tears. And shouting. And more tears.

I wish I had one of those Time-Turners.


	79. Chapter 79

**The Azkaban Blog Project**

**VincentCrabbe01:** so ya. we hitt him ovur th hed and tayk the kees.

**GregoryGoyle02: **wat if he dusnt hav th kees?

**VincentCrabbe01: **er...y wudnt hee?

**GregoryGoyle02: **good kwestun.

**VincentCrabbe01: **so its settuled then?

**GregoryGoyle02: **ya. this escayp plan is gonna be awsum!

**HeWhoseKeysWillNotBeTaken: **I agree. Except for one thing: Even if I carried my keys with me, which I don't, you wouldn't be able to use them.

**GregoryGoyle02: **rly? y not?

**HeWhoseKeysWillNotBeTaken: **...

**HeWhoseKeysWillNotBeTaken: **Seriously? I'm on the blog, eavesdropping on your escape plans, and you don't even bat an eye?

**VincentCrabbe01:** Y WER U DROPPIN EVES ON US?

**HeWhoseKeysWillNotBeTaken:** ...

**HeWhoseKeysWillNotBeTaken: **...not even going to touch that one...

**HeWhoseKeysWillNotBeTaken:** (signed off)

**VincentCrabbe01: **ok. hes gon now.

**GregoryGoyle02:** tHOT HED NEVUR LEEV

**VincentCrabbe01:** ok. bak 2 th plan.

**GregoryGoyle02: **YA. SINSS WE CANT TAYK HIS KEES, WAT DO WE DO?

**HeWhoseKeysWillNotBeTaken: **Hey, Goyle, do you mind turning the caps lock off? It's hurting my eyes.

**GregoryGoyle02: **O. OK. like this?

**HeWhoseKeysWillNotBeTaken: **Perfect. Thanks.

**GregoryGoyle02: **ur welcum.

**VincentCrabbe01: **ok. so insted of taykin the kees, we cood...um...

**GregoryGoyle02: **tayk his wand!

**VincentCrabbe01:** ya! ya! thats gud! we tayk his wand and...uh...

**GregoryGoyle02:** kil him with it!

**HeWhoseKeysWillNotBeTaken: **That seems a little harsh.

**VincentCrabbe01: **ya, wel, ur a jerk.

**HeWhoseKeysWillNotBeTaken: **I don't know whether to take that as an insult or a compliment, honestly.

**HeWhoseKeysWillNotBeTaken: **So. Back to the plan.

**IHatePrison8765:** U guys do realize ur sharing all ur plans with the assisstant warden, rite?

**VincentCrabbe01: **(signed off)

**GregoryGoyle02: **(signed off)

**HeWhoseKeysWillNotBeTaken: **Damn you, Parkinson! It was just starting to get good!

* * *

**AzkabanWarden01: **I'll revoke their blog privelages immediately.

**HeWhoseKeysWillNotBeTaken: **Don't bother. My pet cat could come up with a better escape plan than those two.

**AzkabanWarden01: **I thought he died three weeks ago?

**HeWhoseKeysWillNotBeTaken:** Exactly.

**AzkabanWarden01: **Ah. Would you at least change your name, Jareth? It's most unprofessional.

**HeWhoseKeysWillNotBeTaken:** Yours is TOO professional.

**AzkabanWarden01:** Change it. Now.

**HeWhoseKeysWillNotBeTaken:** Fine.

**ILikePoniesAndUnicorns: **There. How's that?

**AzkabanWarden01: **York...

**CapedCrusader02: **Better?

**AzkabanWarden01: **I'm warning you...

**BoringPrisonUsername02: **Fine. Is that better?

**AzkabanWarden01: **I suppose that will have to do.

* * *

_So there you have it. A few plot twists and a heady dose of Crabbe and Goyle, 'cuz I love you guys so much! :P _

_Oh, and here's another handy dandy list for ya'll: _

_HeWhoseKeysWillNotBeTaken/ BoringPrisonUsername02: Jareth York, Azkaban Assistant Warden and head of the Azkaban Blog Project  
AzkabanWarden01: The title is in the username. _


	80. Chapter 80

_Once again, I apologize for the obscenely long delay between chapters. (Maybe one day I'll just publish regularly and thus negate my need to apologize for the delays, but that day is not today :P) _

* * *

**Weasel: **George, could you get Fred for me?

**Chimpanzee: **Sure. Hang on one second...

**Monkey:** Hey Dad! What's shakin'?

**Weasel: **...what?

**Monkey:** Just testing a new greeting I heard. What do you think?

**Weasel: **I think you should test it some more.

**Monkey: **Hater.

**Weasel:** I don't hate anyone!

**Monkey:** Relax, Dad, it's just a phrase.

**Weasel:** Sorry.

**Weasel:** ...What were we talking about again?

**Monkey: **How should I know?

**Weasel**: One moment...it was rather important, as I recall...

**Weasel:** Oh, yes! Fred, I think your account has been hacked.

**Monkey:** Why do you say that?

**Weasel:** Well, you- or someone pretending to be you, rather- sent me a link to some Muggle show called "My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic."

**Monkey: **And you think my account was hacked because...?

**Weasel:** Fred, no one in their right mind would watch-

**Weasel: **Wait...

**Weasel: **Are you saying you MEANT to send me that link?

**Monkey:** You're kidding, right?

**Weasel: **Oh, Fred...

**Monkey:** Come on, Dad! It's a good show!

**Chimpanzee: **Couldn't have written it better ourselves.

**Weasel:** Oh, George, not you too!

**Chimpanzee: **You just don't realize how awesome it is.

**Weasel: **Boys, you do realize that show is probably intended for ten-year-old Muggle girls?

**Monkey: **Psh. Yeah, right.

**Chimpanzee: **There is not one shred of evidence that any girls watch that manly show.

* * *

**Just Monkeyin' Around**

_**Monkey**_

Poor Dad. He just doesn't get it.

If he watched MLP, he'd realize what he's missing out on. That show will solve world hunger, save the rainforests (Muggles are quite concerned about that) and invent self-spelling wands. If Phil were still alive, that show would defeat him by its pure awesomeness.

I wish everyone in the world knew about this show.

Hmmm...

Actually...

I need to run this by George, I think.

...

Okay. He approves. We're doing it.

Look out world, here comes My Little Pony!


	81. Chapter 81

_Thank you to iCarlyFTW77 for nagging me about getting this chapter done. My profs this quarter are a real pain….but on the upside, the nicest one is letting me write my term paper/final about the Harry Potter series! _

* * *

**The Invisible Man**

_**Falcon**_

Theo,

What the hell do you _want _me to say? I told you the truth.

Draco

He'd throttle me if I actually sent that to him….never mind it's true.

Theo,

All right, all right. Maybe you didn't ask for the brutal truth. But what would you have done, if I hadn't told you? Would you rather I let you figure it out on your own? Of course not. You like to be informed.

Draco

Why is Teri knocking again? I told her I wanted to be left alone! Gr. She had better stop knocking soon, or I'll—

* * *

**Mockingbird: **I know you're on, Draco. I can hear you typing.

**Falcon: **I was working on something important.

**Mockingbird: **On the internet.

**Falcon:** Yes.

**Mockingbird: **You're a terrible liar.

**Falcon:** Go away.

**Mockingbird:** No.

**Falcon:** Please go away.

**Mockingbird: **No.

**Falcon:** Just leave me alone, will you?

**Mockingbird:** No.

**Falcon:** I love you, but right now, I want you to go away.

**Mockingbird: **People in Hell want ice water. So what?

**Falcon:** ….

**Mockingbird:** We need to talk. Come out of your office.

**Falcon: **I was just writing a letter to Theo.

**Mockingbird:** On your blog.

**Falcon: **Rough draft.

**Mockingbird:** Do you plan on sending it?

**Falcon: **(logged off)

* * *

**The Azkaban Blog Project**

**Gorkyshlorky:** Mr. Malfoy? Hello?

**Fervenugen:** Come out, come out, wherever you are!

**LuciusMalfoy01:** Do I know you?

**Fervenugen:** Perhaps.

**Gorkyshlorky:** Perhaps not.

**Fervenugen:** You might recall a certain cruise about twenty years ago.

**Gorkyshlorky:** Where you took your wife….

**Fervenugen:** Your lovely wife….

**Gorkyshlorky:** And there was firewhisky….

**Fervenugen:** And firecrackers….

**Gorkyshlorky:** And a horse….

**Fervenugen:** And the undergarments of one Cornelius Fudge….

**Gorkyshlorky:** You know, that cruise.

**Fervenugen:** The one you've wanted to forget but have been unable to due to your inability to perform a decent Memory Charm.

**Gorkyshlorky:** On the other hand, the firewhisky might've blocked most of it out anyway.

**LuciusMalfoy01:** HOW DID YOU KNOW ABOUT THAT CRUISE? DID NARCISSA TELL YOU? OR WAS IT BELLATRIX! I DEMAND TO KNOW!

**Fervenugen:** Oh. Um….well….

**Gorkyshlorky:** This is awkward.

**Fervenugen:** We were just making things up….

**Gorkyshlorky:** But now that we know….

**Fervenugen: **You must cater to our list of demands!

**LuciusMalfoy01:** That cruise happened twenty years ago, and I am already in Azkaban. You cannot blackmail me.

**Fervenugen:** WE might know about that cruise, and YOU might know about that cruise, but your SON does not.

**Gorkyshlorky:** Yes, your son. You know, the one who went to Hogwarts….

**Fervenugen: **And was in Slytherin….

**Gorkyshlorky:** And has blond hair….

**Fervenugen:** And is named Draco….

**Gorkyshlorky: **And is MUCH better at choosing creative usernames than you are….

**LuciusMalfoy01:** It's a practical username and I refuse to change it. Besides, Draco and I have barely spoken in five years. There is nothing you can tell him that would make him think less of me than he already does.

**Gorkyshlorky:** Ouch.

**Fervenugen: **In that case, what we have to offer you is for your own good.

**Gorkyshlorky:** It will make you smile.

**Fervenugen:** It will make you laugh.

**Gorkyshlorky:** It will make you fart rainbows and poop butterflies!

**Fervenugen: **Hey, hey, don't scare him off! He still needs to watch it!

**LuciusMalfoy01: **Might I remind you two…gentlemen…that I am still here?

**Gorkyshlorky:** Sorry.

**Fervenugen: **Anyway, here's the link.

**Gorkyshlorky: **Watch it.

**Fervenugen:** Enjoy it.

**Gorkyshlorky: **Be ready to answer a detailed questionnaire next week.

**Fervenugen:** Or Cornelius Fudge will hear about that cruise.

**Gorkyshlorky:** (logged off)

**Fervenugen: **(logged off)


	82. Chapter 82

_Sorry this chapter was so long in coming. And so short. I'm nearing the end of my computer time for the day (four other people are wanting to use it) so I'll post this and update as soon as I can. _

* * *

**YouKnowWhoIAm217: **All right. I did it. Can you burn the cruise pictures now?

**Gorkyshlorky: **Who is this?

**Fervenugen: **I feel like we should already know who he is….

**Gorkyshlorky:** I certainly don't.

**Fervenugen:** Well, you should.

**Gorkyshlorky:** There ARE 217 of him.

**Fervenugen: **Of who?

**Gorkyshlorky:** Of people we already know, apparently.

**Fervenugen: **I didn't know we had so many friends! This is wonderful!

**YouKnowWhoIAm217: **It's me, Lucius Malfoy, you idiots!

**Gorkyshlorky: **Oh! Lucky Lucy!

**Fervenugen: **NOW it makes sense!

**YouKnowWhoIAm217: **My name is not Lucy. It's Lucius.

**Fervenugen: **Of course it is, Lucy.

**YouKnowWhoIAm217: **No it's not….oh, I give up. I did what you wanted me to do.

**Gorkyshlorky: **You watched the greatest show ever invented?

**YouKnowWhoIAm217: **I wouldn't call it that, but yes.

**YouKnowWhoIAm217: **Will you burn the pictures now?

**Fervenugen: **Hmm…what do you think, Gorkyshlorky?

**Gorkyshlorky: **You know, I'm not sure. They ARE rather embarrassing….

**Fervenugen:** Delightfully so.

**Gorkyshlorky: **I shudder to think what YOU would do if I were in them.

**Fervenugen: **I'd share them with all your friends, of course!

**Gorkyshlorky:** And I'd do the same for you, mate!

**Fervenugen: **I think we'll keep the pictures.

**YouKnowWhoIAm217: **NO! You can't do that! If Fudge got his hands on them, I…I…

**Gorkyshlorky: **You'd be forced to explain why Fudge has such glorious pink underpants.

**Fervenugen: **Large, too.

**Gorkyshlorky: **And…is that lace?

**YouKnowWhoIAm217: **Yes! It's lace! A very delicate sort, too; I've no idea why he'd put it where no one could see it!

**Gorkyshlorky: **Well, obviously a good many people HAVE seen it, thanks to you and that cruise.

**Fervenugen: **I think we'll keep them.

**Gorkyshlorky: **Yes. Spread the joy around.

**YouKnowWhoIAm217: **I'll tell everyone I know!

**Fervenugen: **About the cruise?

**YouKnowWhoIAm217: **No, about the show! My Little Pony! I'll tell them all!

**Gorkyshlorky:** Oh, I like the sound of that.

**Fervenugen: **As do I. The more bronies we create, the better the world will be.

**Gorkyshlorky:** All right, then. You may do it.

**YouKnowWhoIAm217:** Just please let me remain anonymous.

**Gorkyshlorky:** Request granted.

**Fervenugen: **Request co-granted.

**Gorkyshlorky: **(sign off)

**Fervenugen: **(sign off)

**YouKnowWhoIAm217: **Thank Merlin.

**YouKnowWhoIAm217: **They're more terrifying than the Dark Lord.


End file.
